“Parents, the Primary Educators”Associating Parents for Partnership

with Professional Pedagogues

“Roditelji, primarni ucitelji”Povezivanje roditelja za partnerstvo

sa profesionalnim pedagogima

“Parents, the Primary Educators”Associating Parents for Partnership

with Professional Pedagogues

“Roditelji, primarni ucitelji”Povezivanje roditelja za partnerstvo

sa profesionalnim pedagogima

Johannes TheinerPresident of the European Parents‘ Association (EPA)

SEE-Conference in BečićiApril 23rd, 2010

EPA -

THE European Parents‘ Association• founded in Milan in 1985 – 25th anniversary• almost 50 member associations • from Iceland to Cyprus, from Malta to Norway• Monopole status at the European Commission as

stakeholder organisation of parents• representing 150 Millions of European citizens• involved in Civil Society/Active European Citizenship• … most concerned about parents in education

Introduction

““super macro level”super macro level”

• Parents‘ rights are nested and positively linked to the child‘s right!

• Parents need to participate in public educationto be informed, asked, involved

• Parents are the primary educators of their children!… at least they have the potential

• Parents need encouragement and support.

demands on family, social and educational policy-making!

Core paradigms of EPA

Becoming and Being Parents?

PRIMARY?o FIRSTo BEST – most impacting

Statistician: “Parents spoil the results of every survey on (public) education.”(International Conference „Improving Education, Dec. 1st 2009)

EPA: ”Don‘t blame good parents for impacting on the learning of their children! Rather help all parents to do so!”

Primary Educators?

Statisticians: „The learning outcome of school students clearly correlates to the socio-economic status of their parents“(Generally accepted finding from PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS …)

EPA: “Don‘t mix-up correlation with causal relation!”

“Don’t simplify parental attitude onto this single evidence of social status!“

Michael Schratz: “Think of learning as the most individual process in life – even more private and special than sexual life, strongly influenced by empathic components (motivation) …”(Seminar for Austrian parents’ representatives, March 2004)

Primary Educators?

Sacker et al.: “Parents’ attitude towards education strongly influences the academic success of their children.” (2002)

Charles Deforges: “All normal parents can perform as superior educators of their children.”

“It is a matter of parental competence. Required knowledge, skills, and attitudes can be trained.” (Lecture at the EPA conference “How Parents can Improve the Learning of their Children”, June 19th, 2009)

Ramon Flecha: “Parents from little educated classes are open to education if approached respectfully”(EUCIS-LLL conference, April 14th, 2010)

Primary Educators?

RESPONSIBILITYRESPONSIBILITY

EDUCATION – a Complex Processknowledge

attitudeskills

self esteemcompetences

teaching learning?Complex process of interaction

Change and development of educator and educated

LifeLong Learning

Erziehung, Bildung, Aiusbildung …

Erziehung, Bildung, Aiusbildung …

S C H O O L

classroomclassroom

SCHOOL AUTHORITYS

O C

I E

T Y

Participation of School-Partners

• Legal background• Culture/Tradition of interaction- individual relation

parents – (child) – teacher

- classroom levelparents – (children) – teacher(s)

- school levelhead teacher – parents – (students) – teachers

- administrative/governmental levelrepresentatives of all groups – civil servants

Example: Austria

• parents associations at most schools• not regulated by school law,

but linked to legal parents’ representation • regional umbrella associations

in the nine federal provinces (“Länder”)• Compulsory Schools• Secondary Schools• Catholic Private Schools

• Federal roof associations formed by the regional associations

interaction with regional authorities

no legal regulation

Example: AustriaCompulsory Schools

• School-Partnership means parents + teachers• Class Forum: 1 parent per child + class teacher• School Forum:

1 parent representative per class1 teacher per classchaired by head teacher (no vote)decisive power, information, advisory rights

• In secondary compulsory schools (“Hauptschule”) pupils’ representatives have to be elected – advisory mandate

Example: AustriaSecondary Schools

• School-Partnership = parents + teachers + students• School Council

(“Schulgemeinschaftsausschuss”): 3 parent representatives3 teacher representatives3 students representatives (aged 14+)chaired by head teacher (no vote)decisive power, information, advisory rights

• pupils’ representativefrom secondary Iadvisory mandate

SCHOOL-PARTNERSHIP

STUDENT

TEACHERPARENT

Legal regulations?•school board•school council

RESPONSIBILTYis shared

BALANCE!?

relationsinterpersonal

collective/inter group

authorityemotion/empathy

role of school principal?

EPA Organigram

WORK PLANBUDGET

REPORTSetc.

WORK PLANBUDGET

REPORTSetc.

GENERAL ASSEMBLYtwice a year

one vote per full member, no vote for associate and affiliate members

GENERAL ASSEMBLYtwice a year

one vote per full member, no vote for associate and affiliate members

2 AUDITORS2 AUDITORS

PRESIDENTPRESIDENT

approvingapprovingelectingelecting

EUROPEANPARTNERS

EU CommissionEU InstitutionsAssociations

Platforms

EUROPEANPARTNERS

EU CommissionEU InstitutionsAssociations

Platforms

rep

res

en

tin

gre

pre

se

nti

ng

BOARD

six membersamong them

Vice-presidentTreasurerSecretary

BOARD

six membersamong them

Vice-presidentTreasurerSecretary

triggeringadvising

supportingco-organisingco-financing

etc.

triggeringadvising

supportingco-organisingco-financing

etc.

discussing - presenting - informingdiscussing - presenting - informing

EPA OrganigramGENERAL ASSEMBLYtwice a year

one vote per full member, no vote for associate and affiliate members

GENERAL ASSEMBLYtwice a year

one vote per full member, no vote for associate and affiliate members

approvingapprovingelectingelecting

FULL MEMBER ASSOCIATIONSFULL MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS

ASSOCIATE MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS

ASSOCIATE MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS

AFFILIATE MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS

AFFILIATE MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS

delegatingdelegating

REGIONAL NETWORKACTIVITIES

REGIONAL NETWORKACTIVITIES

NATIONAL or LOCALACTIVITIES

NATIONAL or LOCALACTIVITIES

taking parttaking part

discussing - presenting - informingdiscussing - presenting - informing

EPA Members’ StructuresEPA FULL MEMBER

National or Regional Parents‘ AssociationEPA FULL MEMBER

National or Regional Parents‘ Association

individualparents

individualparents

EPA FULL MEMBERNational Parents‘ Association

EPA FULL MEMBERNational Parents‘ Association

Regional Parents‘ Association

Regional Parents‘ Association

Local/SchoolParents‘ Association

Local/SchoolParents‘ Association

individualparents

individualparents

EPA Members’ StructuresEPA FULL MEMBER

National Parents‘ AssociationEPA FULL MEMBER

National Parents‘ Association

Local School-BoardLocal School-Board

individualparents

individualparents

Parents‘Representation

Parents‘Representation other members

e.g. head master/mistressteachers‘ representativesstudents‘ representativesrepr. of funding body

(municipality, order, diocese …)

other memberse.g. head master/mistressteachers‘ representativesstudents‘ representativesrepr. of funding body

(municipality, order, diocese …)

EPA Members’ StructuresEPA FULL MEMBER

National Parents‘ AssociationEPA FULL MEMBER

National Parents‘ Association

Local School-BoardLocal School-Board

individualparents

individualparents

Parents‘ Representationas Funding Body

Parents‘ Representationas Funding Body other members

e.g. head master/mistressteachers‘ representativesstudents‘ representatives

other memberse.g. head master/mistressteachers‘ representativesstudents‘ representatives

EPA Members’ Structures

EPA FULL MEMBERNational or Regional Parents‘ Association

EPA FULL MEMBERNational or Regional Parents‘ Association

Parents‘ Assoc.PRE-SCHOOLParents‘ Assoc.PRE-SCHOOL

Parents‘ Assoc.PRIMARY SCHOOL

Parents‘ Assoc.PRIMARY SCHOOL

Parents‘ Assoc.SECONDARY SCHOOL

Parents‘ Assoc.SECONDARY SCHOOL

Parents and „Professional Educators“

Partnership• Cooperation

•based on mutual respect and esteem•Trust•Empathy

• Different roles• Different competences (skills and knwoledge)• Similar attitude

?NECESSARY !!NECESSARY !!

EPA’s ALCUIN-Award

named after Alcuin of York,one of the most important scholars at the court of Charlemagne

a founding father of medievalEuropean Education

Criteria• Originality• Contribution to education• Involvement of parents as a characteristic• Constructive approach to home-school relationships in

education• Its potential as a “role model” in Europe with easy

dissemination and applicability

Thank yourfor your attention!

president@epa-parents.eu