LAUNCH OF THE INITIATIVE IN 2011

CIP - Center for Interactive PedagogyFoundation for an Open Society SerbiaMinistry of Education and Science within the DILS Project

20125 municipalities85 ed. inst.1 NGO

201310 municipalities210 ed. inst.6 NGOs

initiative development and spreading

MAIN OBJECTIVE

Improve conditions for the development, education and lives of children by enabling the more active and quality involvement of parents in decisions regarding children in educational institutions and at the municipal/city level. Achieved by:

1. Situation and needs analysis2. Empowering the parents (motivation, training, networking)3. Establishing channels of communication: PI/PS/SS <-> PARENTS <-> LSG4. Developing a new model – Municipal/City Parent Council 5. Effecting policy level changes

PRINCIPLES

• Cooperation and mutual support• Mutual learning• Parental involvement in

– Planning activities– Evaluating activities

• Promotion of the importance of parental involvement

OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

• Logo, memorandum, video spot, brochures• Promotional material• Media outreach• Promotion at expert events• Promotion in education magazines

1. SITUATION ANALYSIS AND NEEDS ASSESMENT

GENERAL FRAMEWORK• Law supporting parental involvement• Underdeveloped civic involvement• Weak LSG involvement in education• Lack of quality cooperation between PARENTS and PI/PS/SS• Lack of communication channels : PARENTS <-> PARENTS/PARENTS <-> LSG • Parents lack information• Low motivation among parents to involve themselves• No sense of togetherness among parents

1. RESULTS

• Analysis of supporting and inhibiting factors in PIs/schools and municipalities

• Parents’ motivation and strength to effect change• Requisite skills, knowledge and support

2. EMPOWERING THE PARENTS

MEETINGS• Organized and facilitated by: CIP in cooperation with the LSGs and the

MoES• Participants: parents and teachersEDUCATION• Topics elaborated by experts (Legislation, Bodies and Teams in

Educational Institutions and Opportunities for Parental Involvement, Cooperation between the Parents and PI/PS/SS, Prevention of Violence and Improving the Safety of Children, Activity Planning, Quality of Education...)

• ResourcesEXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND MUTUAL SUPPORT• Problems Parent Councils face in their work• Good practice examples

2. RESULTS

RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERSPUBLICATIONS: “Parental Involvement in South East European Schools – Principals’

Views” “South East Europe Cross-Countries Survey of Parents' Views”BROCHURES: On the initiative (two) Cooperation between the parents and kindergarten/schools Guide to Parent Councils (parents) Work on professional orientation (parents) under wayPrepared ARTICLES and PRESENTATIONS: Articles on cooperation between families and PIs/schools and on

other topics PPPs on topics discussed at meetings

INITIATIVE WEBSITE: www.cipcentar.org/i_roditelji_se_pitaju

MAIN MENUActivities within the InitiativeInformationLibrary• Laws and Rulebooks• Strategies and Action Plans• Rights of the Child• Protection from Violence and Discrimination • Social and Educational Inclusion• Quality of Education• Parenthood• Cooperation between parents and PI/PS/SS• Professional Orientation• Involvement of children and youths• Manuals for ParentsNEWS

3. ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

• At the level of the educational institution – parents• At the local level – parents, LSGs and NGOs• At the level of the initiative - parents, LSGs, NGOs and the

MoES

3. RESULTS

• Initiative e-mail address• Mailing lists• Telephone conversations• Text messages• Initiative website• Networking of municipal/city, NGO and kindergarten/school

websites• Print material

4. MUNICIPAL/CITY PARENT COUNCILS- BUILDING OF A NEW MODEL

DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONCEPT OF MPCs IN COOPERATION WITH PARENTS AND LSGs

• Advisory municipal body representing the parents• Channel of communication between the parents and the municipalities• Looks after all children in the local community• Brings together parents of children of different ages• Renders opinions, initiates activities and proposes measures to

improve education and safety to the benefit of all children

MPCs elaborate their objectives and modus operandi in cooperation with the LSGs, parent councils, educational institutions, the MoES and NGOs.

MUNICIPAL/CITY PARENT COUNCILS

Representatives of Parent Councils of all private and state PI/PS/SSEach Parent Council appoints one representative and two deputies

to the MPCEquitable representation of: both genders, professions, ethnic

communities, parents of children in need of additional support

ISSUES MPCs FOCUS ON

DRAFT LAWS ON PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS:• Realisation of the right of access to education by all children• Development of quality education respecting diversity and

developing the potentials of each and every child• Safety of children and prevention of violence• Improving the work of parent councils• Dissemination of information, networking and representation of

parents• Sports and cultural events, summer vacations• Child and parent support programs• Other issues of relevance to children and youths

MPC ACTIVITIES

• Forward parents’ suggestions to municipalities• Participate in planning and designing Strategies and Action Plans• Inform parents of municipal initiatives• Initiate activities of parent councils in educational institutions• Implement activities at the municipal levelMPCs cooperate with civil society organizations, state institutions, the media and amongst themselves

4. RESULTS

MPCs SET UP IN FIVE MUNICIPALITIESTEAM WORK OF PARENTSMPC ACTIVITIES – IMPLEMENTED AND PLANNED• Organization of events (panel discussions, sports-educational events,

various events for children and youths• Design of promotional and educational material (brochures,

information booklets…)• Parents’ Club set up• Promotion of good practice examples of educational institutions that

have good cooperation with the parents and the children

5. POLICY DEVELOPMENT

THE CHANGES WE WANT TO EFFECT:• Have a representative of the parents in the National Education

Council• Have an advisor for cooperation with the parents in the MoES (Now

the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development)• Introduce the mechanism by which the MPCs will operate• Networking of the MPCs and establishment of a national association

of MPCs

BY: • Empowering parents, educational institutions, LSGs and NGOs• Holding an International conference• Media promotions of good practices and new initiatives• Design of a manual with a collections of good practice examples

5. RESULTS

• Existence of MPCs envisaged by draft laws on primary and secondary schools

• Preparation of local legislation under way

LESSONS LEARNED

• Frequent change of parents attending meetings stimulates discussion but hinders work as well

• Municipal representatives’ regular attendance at meetings positively affects parents’ motivation to initiate activities

• Each MPC needs to appoint an operational team (5-7) to be involved in planning and organizing meetings with parents

• Organize regular meetings with operational teams more often, not just once a month

• Start discussing ideas of activities with the parents already at the first meetings with them

• Set apart time for planning MPC activities at every meeting

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT:

www.cipcentar.org www.mpn.gov.rs

www.dils.org.rs/mp

THANK YOU!