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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Linking China and South Ayrshire

W Fraser Cook, Co-ordinator SACCLink

South Ayrshire's links with Chuzhou City in PR. China started with the original link achieved under the EU China Local Authority Linking Programme 'Parent Partnership in Education', a formal Link majority funded by the European Commission. In June 1997, members of the Steering Committee of the South Ayrshire Parents' Consultative Group were invited to meet with a European delegation visiting under the 'Arion' badge, representing Germany, Spain, Finland, Norway, Poland, Hungary and Belgium and this let us establish informal European links with parents and professionals. Lothar Bluhm, one of our German colleagues asked us in October 1997 if we would lead another Link under the EUChina Local Authority Linking Programme and we were delighted to assist. Our application, "Parent Partnership in Education" was submitted in November 1997and approved in January 1998. As a consequence of this, members from South Ayrshire Parents' Consultative Group and the German parents' group Landkriess Celle visited China in April 1998 in order to learn about how we all work in partnership with our own local authorities, and to identify the best (and worst) aspects of our partnerships. We produced a paper, which outlined and identified the aspects of partnership currently being used by each country and gave us all knowledge on other methods of partnership. On completion of the above Link, the Chinese and Scottish parties communicated and strengthened their ties, this culn-dnating in the formation of SACCLink, the South Ayrshire Chuzhou City Linking Programme, about which you can learn on our website http://www.fraser-cook.freeserve.co.uk

This talk is about the whole Link, but particularly on the first part, and hopefully gives some comparative analysis between each of the three countries and how parent partnership is operated. A handout has also been compiled and is part of your Conference Paper Pack.

The EU China LAL Programme was set up to provide financial assistance for the establishment of links between EU and Chinese Local Authorities. The Links and projects approved led to participation by twelve European countries, namely Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Chinese participation came from eighteen areas, Beijing, Bengbu, Chuzhou City, Guangzhou, Hubei, Jiangsu Province, Jiaxing, Jinan, Lanzhou, Liaoning, Nanjing, Qianjian City, Qun Shan City, Shenyang City, Suzhou, Tonglin City, Wenzhou County and Zhanglin Town. The spheres of co-operation covered the areas of economy, enviromnental, health, training, education (only 1!), and transport.

Our Link, Parent Partnership in Education was the only education link throughout the European input. Our objectives were to establish a new parent-led link between China, Germany and Scotland (representing the UK)- to give details to all three partners of the main attributes of their own style of parent partnership, and to see how this helps each local authority. The partners were Chuzhou City Municipal Govermnent representing PR China, led by Wu Qian Li (Director of the Education Commission) and Zhu Hong Bing, Vice Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Chuzhou City, ably assisted by Chen Feng, Director of the Foreign Affairs Office and Liu Gui Lin, Protocol Officer. From Germany, representing Landkreis Celle was Dr Jacob van Praagh, Chairman of the Kreiselternrat Celle and Lothar Bluhm, a member of the Steering Committee. Finally, from Scotland representing South Ayrshire Council was Fraser Cook, Chairman of the South Ayrshire Parents' Consultative Group and Brian Thomson, a member of the Steering Committee. Within one month of approval being given, each country prepared individual presentations on how they saw their role of 'parent partnership', and within a further two months, outcomes were transferred to presentation materials for exhibition and workshops in China. The expected results were the establishment of international links between different countries and to be able to assess firsthand the different aspects of 'Parent Partnership' by each individual country. Finally, the link would lead to the promotion of Europe to China, and China to Europe.

The Link was opened formally at Chuzhou City on Monday 20 April 1998, being followed by an afternoon presentation by each country held in the offices of the Education Commission. In order to gather as much information as possible, over and above three formal workshops, there were meetings with staff, parents, students, and officials over the five-day programme, and visits to a wide selection of educational establishments. These included Chuzhou Teachers' Training School, No 1 Vocational School, No 2 Attached Primary School, Chuzhou City Teachers' Training College, Attached Kindergarten and No 2 Middle School. A lot in such a short time! But the Link succeeded better than any expectations, and the following comparisons have been assessed.

Conclusions

There is a very strong link between all three parties with particular regard to the parents' responsibilities and degree of commitment which is vital to the proper and meaningful education of all children. This commitment is shared between all three partners who, in their each individual way, are wholly behind parent partnership in education. One of the most significant descriptions used during the Link visit to Chuzhou City is the tenn used by our Chinese parents and colleagues, which is wholeheartedly agreed with by the European delegates - the parents are the First Teachers.

In formal terms, the subject and degree of Parent Partnership in Education varies considerably between each of the three parties, albeit without any lessening of commitment in any of the three.

Germany

The German system is very much the most formal of the systems and allows for total parent partnership. The method adopted ensures that there is a maximisation of parent participation at all levels of the educational system, whether at class level, academic year level, school level, or at district and federal state level. This starts with each class, and follows with every class year also having its own representative and thereafter every school having its formal parent representative. The degree of participation is excellent.

Scotland

The comn-fitment of parents in Scotland varies from area to area and from school to school. In some areas, there are not sufficient parents able or willing to put themselves forward as candidates for school boards and in such cases, the school will not be able to support a Board. This is not only sad, but places the school at a distinct disadvantage whereby valuable and supportive parent partnership is stifled. With regard to a comparison with the German system, based on present circumstances and statistics in Scotland generally, this degree of parent participation would be unlikely to succeed unless legislation or some other means was used to enforce it. It is worthy of note that in some of our largest secondary schools where there are around 1400 pupils and a likely number of parents in the region of say 2000, there are many occasions where the bi-annual election of parent members to fill only three vacancies is unnecessary as there are only three applications, and sometimes this number is only achieved by cajoling already committed parents. If the German system were operating at this school, there would require to be approximately 24 parents putting themselves forward for election. Would that be successful? Not if taking account of present statistics.

The School Board system in Scotland can, when given the necessary support by the parent body and sufficient advice and leadership from the Education Authority, work in a very effective manner. However, there is a feeling within the 'ordinary' parents of South Ayrshire that they do not necessarily wish to participate in a formal 'committee' structure and who do not wish to be restricted to working within the education system for one single establishment. Many parents consider the Board system to be too formal, and judge that there is not really a proper representation of the parents even within that school. This situation has been recognised by South Ayrshire Council and, with their blessing and support, the Parents' Forum was established, to allow all parents within South Ayrshire the opportunity - if they so wish - of taking an active role in the education of their children, without the formality of the Board system and regardless of the number of available places. This informal Forum is the South Ayrshire Parents' Consultative Group.

China

It must be said that if parents in Germany and Scotland had the degree of individual commitment as demonstrated by the parents in Chuzhou City, there would seem to be no need to have formal parent partnerships. Using the Parents' School as well as the individual parent input has achieved a valuable and effective form of parent partnership. When we asked the Chinese parents if they thought that they would benefit from a more formal group identity, they were genuinely perplexed and could see no advantages to such group involvement. The education authorities (like many of their European counterparts) would also see potential problems in supporting such groups as it could have a detrimental effect on the present structure of the 'Parents' Schools' and the 'Focus on Young Generations' Committee'.

General

There is a degree of difficulty in the European considerations of the Focus on Young Generations' Committee, in that the generation gap in Europe would, in many cases, act against the benefit of the experience collectively held within such a group. We readily identified many of our children's peers who would be slightly averse to having retired members of the teaching profession (or any other profession, for that matter) due to the differential in age. However, the system does work in China, and the hierarchy allows the influence of the Focus on Young Generations' Committee to gain such benefit that in turn allows the parent body to accept its involvement and influence and thereby the pupils body itself is benefited. There are a lot of good points which have come to light during the very brief physical Link undertaken in Chuzhou City. One thing which has become so apparent is that there really was not enough time to do full and proper justice to the subject and to get to grips with each other's different systems.

SACCLink

The Link between Chuzhou city and South Ayrshire is progressing strongly, and has progressed naturally into the South Ayrshire Chuzhou City Linking Programme, covering those items agreed under the memorandum of Understanding completed at the conclusion of the above Link, and has gone on to further agreements as discussed and agreed during a Goodwill Visitation by Chuzhou City delegates to South Ayrshire in December 1999. A separate paper has been prepared on this further Link and is available from Fraser Cook on request. Contact details for all parties under SACCLink have been provided in the handout.

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