It seems to me that it has so much more to do with how the "adults" in the home value education. If getting your children the best education possible is not a priority, the children learn education has no value.

In working with a title 1 school, I have witnessed teachers actually going out and meeting parents at ballgames, bowling alleys, etc, in order to give parents progress reports and to discuss ways they can help their child be successful. I have also listened to teachers lamenting that parents didn't show up or didn't follow through or seemed in some way disinterested.

I don't know what the answer to parent apathy is...