National parents' forum proposed

A national conference last Saturday explored ways in which parents could participate more actively and effectively in schools.

The overall message was clear: Parents are the first and most important educators of their children; let's support them in becoming better at it, and let's help them have more say in our schools.

The conference took place at the New Dolmen Hotel in Qawra, under the title: "Strengthening what we have started together for the good of our children". It was held as one of the activities marking the previous Tuesday's European Day of Parents and School.

The New Dolmen's sizeable conference room was packed with educators and parents alike, perhaps a signal that another milestone has been reached in the development of this aspect of education in Malta, after the new National Minimum Curriculum placed stronger emphasis on the role that parents should take.

An important proposal came from a conference organiser, Frans Borg, director of the Office of Review in the Education Ministry.

He suggested that a national parents' forum be set up, under the umbrella of the Association of School Councils, aimed at boosting parental participation in school, supporting parents in the education of their children and giving them a stronger voice.

The forum, he said, could act as a pressure group and as a focal point for networking with other players in the education sector. It could organise courses for parents as well as be involved in spreading information about the role of parents through the internet and articles in the media.

He dispelled any doubts about parents' belief in the idea of participation. School open days attracted a 90 per cent attendance rate and parents' participation in the Foundation for Educational Services programmes reached 77 per cent, he said, adding that thousands of parents had also taken part in the European Day of Parents and School.

Parents knew, too, what participation meant, as evidenced by their own comments, he said.

Structures also existed in favour of participation, among them the curriculum and its implementation strategy, the school development plans, school councils and their association, and the foundation.

Mr Borg, however, asked: "When there are all these structures in existence, why isn't there more participation by parents?"

He suggested that the reason was a combination of several factors: the parents' feeling of inadequacy; their working hours; bad experiences from their own school days; family commitments; a sometimes unwelcoming school administration; and a strong teaching profession and union, which in other countries had been proved to instil a sense of threat in parents when it came to sharing power.

The national parents' forum was one way of addressing the issue, and the forum would be balanced out by the creation of an association branch for teachers, Mr Borg said.

Other steps to be taken on a national level should include new laws to reflect the curriculum's policy on parents, a greater representation by parents on the school councils, a parent participation unit within the Education Division, and the organisation of short courses for parents.

On a school level, he suggested that schools should work on ways of improving communication with parents, perhaps through open days, newsletters, meetings, a parents' room, and even appointing a 'parent participation officer'.

Ultimately, he said, stronger parent participation required a change in mentality: "The success of the curriculum depends on whether school heads are ready to become partners with parents and local communities in working creatively together for the children's development."

Another speaker to address the day-long conference was Joseph Giordmaina, a member of the focus group charged with assisting implementation of the curriculum's concepts on democracy in schools.

Mr Giordmaina dwelt on the knowledge, skills and attitudes parents could develop in order to participate more fully in the education of their children and in the running of schools.

Knowledge of education laws and of the curriculum could be transmitted through the school, media and internet, he said. He also suggested a more user-friendly version of the curriculum.

Parents also needed to know how to support their children at home, as well as be familiar with school issues and policies, the workings of school councils, and technical terms used by educators.

He pointed to the division's website and customer care unit as good sources of information on some of these matters.

Pamela Muscat, a parent of four representing the Association of School Councils, spoke about improving communication between school and home

She suggested that this could be done through greater involvement of parents in decision making and policy formulation at the school level, and the setting up of class councils that would organise regular meetings with parents, among other measures.

Mary Vella, director curriculum department, gave an overview of the parental participation concepts contained in the curriculum, saying it left no doubt about parents' central place in education.

She said the curriculum saw the family as a place of learning in itself, especially in the way it could inculcate positive values and attitudes towards education, and the family was also seen as having an obligation to give all the support it could to children's learning in school.