Low-Income, Single-Parent Francophone Mothers and the Educational Achievement of Their Children

Résumé

This phenomenological study focused on single-parent, low-income francophone
mothers’ relationships with the educational and cultural achievement of their children attending French-speaking schools in Anglo-dominant settings in New Brunswick (Canada). We conducted individual (N = 8) semi-structured interviews to solicit information about the participants’ lived world through their articulated voices and experiences. Qualitative data were analyzed using Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological approach. Four themes emerged: parenting and financial difficulties; mother’s level of education and their involvement in their children’s education; relationship with their children’s school; and parental role in enhancing language acquisition and building cultural identity. Findings revealed that single-parent, low-income francophone mothers need help with parenting skills as they pertain to improving their children’s education achievements. We concluded that the New Brunswick government needs to (a) respect its mandate to ensure that the education system teaches and provides opportunities for building a francophone identity, and (b) respect its pledge to make certain that every child arrives at kindergarten ready to learn, particularly to single-parent women living in poverty, who have limited financial resources.