Other subjects in the family-school relationship: The role of grandparents in the educational process of grandchildren

Abstract

The current article intends to present the results of a research done in Portugal and in Brazil, a research whose main purpose was to better understand how grandparents relate to their grandchildren and offer support in their education. The research followed a qualitative approach; in order to better understand the routine of the relation between grandparents and grandchildren, there were 14 interviews with grandfathers and grandmothers in the city of Mariana–Brazil, and 7 in Leiria-Portugal. The data revealed that, in spite of the socioeconomic differences among the interviewed, in both cities the grandparents (most of whom had a low level of education) do not act directly on the process of education of the grandchildren. However, they offer important support to the children´s education, whether by managing the schedules of the in-school and out-of-school activities, or by transmitting values appreciated by the school. They are, therefore, important agents in the care for grandchildren so that they have the necessary conditions for a good performance at school.