NAVIGATING SECONDARY EDUCATION IN RURAL AJ&K: A STUDY OF PARENTAL ASPIRATIONS AND CHALLENGES IN TEHSIL SEHNSA

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify problems faced by rural parents related to educating their children at the secondary school level in Tehsil Sehnsa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. It also aimed to find out the ways of solving these issues. A descriptive survey design was used. The population consisted of 500 rural parents of students enrolled in government boys' secondary schools in Tehsil Sehnsa AJ&K. Through simple random sampling, 255 rural parents were chosen as the sample. A questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale, which had 30 items (15 problems and 15 solutions) was developed, translated into Urdu to make it easier for respondents to understand, validated by three educational experts, and pilot tested with 20 parents who were not included in the sample. Reliability was determined by Cronbach's Alpha (α=0.79). The researchers personally gathered the data and it was analyzed by using frequency, percentage, and mean scores. Results showed that rural parents face very serious and multidimensional problems. 95% of those surveyed agreed that "parents have always to work hard in order to fulfill the needs of their children" and this item obtained the highest mean score (M=4.76). 89% of parents said "they often felt as if they had lesser value than others" (M=4.70), and 92% said that "they were not at all happy with the education being given by the government" (M=4.20). Indications of poverty included 82% saying "there were hardly any jobs available" (M=4.06), and 89% that "they did not give due importance to education due to lack of resources" (M=4.31). More than three-fifths of parents reported being less educated (83%; M=4.26) than required to provide study guidance (85%; M=4.45), being unable to understand modern education system (74%; M=4.09) and lack of modern technology at home (72%; M=4.03) as the main educational limitations. Parenting challenges included 67% unable to care for children's personal interests (M=4.03), 80% failing as role models (M=4.12), 75% unable to change children's behavior (M=4.07), 79% unaware of psychological needs (M=3.94), and 61% preferring child labor over education (M=3.88). For solutions, 77% endorsed government schemes (M=4.05), 78% demanded internet provision (M=4.10), 79% recognized need to understand children's desires (M=3.93), 80% acknowledged need for parental role modeling (M=4.19), 77% called for teacher involvement (M=4.09), 78% sought teacher guidance for studies (M=4.27), 79% recognized need to consult teachers about modern education (M=4.17), 84% endorsed building children's confidence (M=4.21), 87% agreed on convincing parents about education's importance (M=4.48), 88% emphasized realizing education's role in family honor (M=4.44), 79% demanded improved government school quality (M=3.94), 92% recognized need for friendly environment for psychological care (M=4.20), 90% emphasized parental confidence (M=4.70), and 82% demanded employment opportunities (M=4.07). The study concluded that rural parents face an interlocking web of economic deprivation, educational limitations, and parenting challenges that severely constrain their children's educational opportunities. Economic problems include poverty, limited employment, and resource scarcity forcing labor over schooling. Educational challenges encompass parents' own low literacy, inability to understand modern systems, lack of technology access, and dissatisfaction with government schools. Parenting difficulties include failure to model positive behavior, unawareness of children's psychological needs, inability to provide academic guidance, and preference for child labor. Solutions require coordinated action: government schemes for employment and technology, teacher partnerships for guidance and system navigation, and parental capacity-building for understanding children's needs, building confidence, and recognizing education's importance. Without comprehensive intervention addressing these interconnected problems, rural children's educational outcomes will remain severely compromised.