PANDANGAN ORANG TUA TERHADAP PENDIDIKAN ANAK DI DESA BOROK TOYANG

Abstract

This study examines parents’ perspectives on children’s education and the educational conditions of children in Borok Toyang Village, West Sakra District, East Lombok. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, the study collected data through non-participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation involving children who had dropped out of school, children who combined schooling with work, parents, a hamlet head who also served as a religious leader, and a neighborhood representative. The findings show two dominant educational conditions. First, some school-age children had dropped out and worked to support household livelihoods, including agricultural labor, tobacco harvesting, and livestock-related work. Second, some children remained in school but worked after school to help their parents in farming and animal husbandry. Parents’ perspectives were divided into two orientations. Some parents considered higher education less important because they observed graduates experiencing unemployment and believed that reading and writing skills were sufficient for children to enter work. Other parents viewed education as essential for children’s futures, supported schooling financially and emotionally, and considered schooling more important than work. The study also found that economic constraints could prevent parents who valued education from sustaining their children’s schooling. The findings indicate that children’s educational participation is shaped not only by household economic conditions but also by parental expectations and the meaning attached to education and work.