Conference

2008 Safe Internet Use

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Highlights of previous SSBA conferences :-

2007 Developing a Parent Council and Encouraging Parental Involvement

2006 The Way Forward for Parental Involvement

2005 Parents in Partnership

2003 Partnerships and responsibilities

2002 SSBA is fit for the future

2001 Roadshow

2000 International
and published book
available here online

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Workshops
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Parents in Education: The Irish Experience

No longer the invited guests:

The recognition of parents as the 'primary educators' in the Irish Constitution was rarely reflected in the reality of Irish schools for the half century that followed its 1937 publication. 'Pupils were left at the school gates, received what was on offer on the inside and few questions were asked. Growing democratisation of society as the century progressed, however, together with an evolving paradigm shift in the focus of teaching towards the student as learner saw the student's personal hinterland loom larger and larger over the horizon until we came to have, at least on paper, one of the most child centered and, by extension, parent participative systems to be found anywhere.'

The 1998 Education Act was the culmination of a long process of ice melting and at the same time a new beginning. The last ten years of the twentieth century are described in Ireland as a decade of partnership in which a new culture of participation and collaboration developed across a broad spectrum of things Irish from politics to national economy to the classroom. In 1993 the National Parents' Council had told the National Education Convention that parents should no longer be seen as 'invited guests' in education and the 1998 Act in giving statutory recognition to the rights of parents in relation to schools can leave few in doubt that their voice has been heard. Parents now have a legally defined and substantive part to play in schools, locally as representatives on Boards of Management and Parents' Associations, nationally through the National Parents Council and personally as responsible partners in their own children's schooling.

Parents and Decision-making:

Parents now have equal representation with teachers on the Boards of Management which run the majority of Irish schools. On a national level the National Parents' Council is referred to in the same breath as patrons of schools, recognised school management organisations and teacher unions. The role of a parents council, however, is primarily an advisory one. The wording of the Act is interesting:

VI: 26.2) A parents' association shall promote the interests of the students in a school in co-operation with the board, Principal, teachers and students of a school and for that purpose may-

(a) advise the Principal or the board on any matter relating to the school and the Principal or board, as the case may be, shall have regard to any such advice, and

(b) adopt a programme of activities which will promote the involvement of parents, in consultation with the Principal in the operation of the school.

(3) The board shall promote contact between the school, parents of students in that school and the community and shall facilitate and give all reasonable assistance to parents who wish to establish a parents' association and to a parents' association when it is established.'

A role which is merely advisory may be seen as somewhat weak and an expression of fear in relation to the mind and voice of parents but the phrase 'on any matter relating to the school' is giving food for thought to parent councils who hitherto saw their role as fundraising and making tea. The word 'shall' in section 3 also has a certain ring to it.

The expectation is that the real impact of the 1998 Act will be seen as the provisions of the act are rolled out. One of the chief routes through which the rolling out will take place is 'School Development Planning', currently the buzz phrase in Irish Education. The paragraph on parents in the Department of Education and Science booklet on the matter makes interesting reading.

'It is important that parents are involved in the planning process. Through their representation on the Board of Management and through the Parents' Association, where one has been established, parents can readily be consulted in the clarification of the school's mission, vision and aims, the review of the school's current reality, the establishment of priorities, and the development of policies on issues such as discipline or homework. All parents should be kept informed of relevant outcomes of the planning process."

The Partnership Project:

The Irish Christian Brothers have 122 schools in Ireland spread throughout the whole island and linked together in a network served by their education offices. Christian Brother educational philosophy sees parents as 'taking responsibility in collaboration with others in the school community for the quality of education and the character of the school' The Partnership Project was set up in 1999 by the Education Offices in conjunction with the Marino Institute of Education with the aim of supporting community building and deepening the partnerships that exist in Christian Brother schools. Services and training are offered to parent councils, boards of management, student councils and school staffs.

The work in relation to parent councils began in early 2000 with a series of regional cluster gatherings whose purpose was to support and move forward the involvement of parents in schools arising our of the prevailing partnership vision of education. The meetings set out to examine how councils might have a greater impact over a broader range of issues, facilitated by well executed officer and member roles and better meetings. The hope was that through clearer vision of role, better teamwork and higher morale, councils might contribute to better opportunities for all in the school community. The hope ultimately was that parents might be empowered to be fuller partners in schools.

One of the most encouraging features of the clusters was the interaction and sharing of the various school representatives and this was commented on very favourably in their evaluation of the day. Councils took great interest in the experience, vision and good practice of other councils and the extent to which difficulties were shared. Council members went home with great ideas garnered from what others were doing and especially the manner in which the formation of sub-committees (social sub-committee, fund-raising sub-committee, partnership sub-committee etc) enhanced the work of individual councils. Parents reported on their input into school policies on various issues such as study and homework, bullying, drugs, R.S.E., uniform, mobile phones, motorbikes, transport etc. There was great richness in the variety and innovation of the projects individual councils were involved in. These included the upkeep of benevolent bursaries for students going on to third level, newsletters and information packs to all parents, various mentoring projects, running Toastmasters as a way to improve self-esteem and communication skills in transition year. The majority of councils reported a great relationship with the school principal ('our new principal is a ray of sunshine') and the principal's support was seen as both crucial and greatly appreciated. Difficulties encountered included the continuing problem of getting parents involved, the sheer busyness of both teachers and parents, the occasional prevalence of cliques, the confinement of the council's role in some schools, the exclusion of the parents' voice on some issues ('when the shutters come down'), communication deficits, the varying perceptions of teachers and the continuation of fear as the 'old enemy'.

In looking to the future, councils saw their priorities over the coming months as:

* Drawing up a mission statement;

* Clarifying and communicating the role and scope of the council;

* Targeting new parents;

* Setting up subcommittees;

* Becoming more involved in school policy formation;

* Developing the councils' relationships with boards, principals, staffs and students;

* Developing a relationship with and encouraging students' councils;

* Ensuring that the council's voice is heard at national level through affiliation to the N.P.C.;

* Communicating the insights of the cluster gatherings to all parents.

The overwhelming wish of all attending was to continue with meetings like these and that the support for parents embodied in this initiative be extended and deepened. Parents were particularly pleased to know that the vision being communicated to them was being shared with the other partners. They were pleased to hear also that following the completion of this phase, the Partnership Project was looking at what continued support would now be offered to the councils attending; how councils not attending might be reached; what might be done for schools which had not yet risen to the challenge of setting up a parents' council or where a council had submerged in a sea of difficulties; and, finally what support would be offered to councils in primary schools.

Ned Prendergast:
Project Officer,
The Partnership Project,
Marino Institute of Education,
Dublin

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