While some parents actively participate in their children’s education, others have been passive in playing this role. This qualitative research was conducted with parents of pupils in a Basic School as well as the teachers of primary classes four, five and six. Participants were purposively sampled due to their experience and knowledge in issues related to parents’ participation and non-participation in their children’s education. Findings revealed that parental participation stems from some parents’ belief that their active participation in their children’s education is part of their training. Barriers to parental participation in their children’s education include the high cost of living, which keeps parents preoccupied with economic ventures, and low self-esteem due to some parents’ illiteracy, which makes them feel they cannot offer much besides paying their children’s school fees. The authors recommend that school authorities include parents in planning programmes in which parents are expected to participate.

The approaches used in community development (CD) are critical to the success or failure of projects. Yet, we know little about approaches employed in CD in urban areas. This study investigates the approaches employed in two CD projects (construction of footbridges and cassava processing) in Ashaiman, an urban Ghanaian slum, and the factors that influenced the selected approaches. We used a qualitative technique by conducting semi-structured interviews with 23 stakeholders involved in CD activities in Ashaiman. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. The findings demonstrated that the two selected initiatives used both self-help and technical support approaches, with the latter approach dominating. The community's capacity, weak social ties among the residents, and nature of the project undertaken were the factors that determined the approaches taken. The basis for the approach used in CD should be the characteristics of the communities and how they facilitate the successful implementation of projects.