Engaging Parents in a Whole School Approach
Parent involvement is a mutually supportive partnership between parents, students, schools and the local community that promotes student health and wellbeing.
The level of involvement may occur along a continuum from occasional participation in school programs to parents and the school working in partnership on issues impacting on the child’s learning, health and wellbeing.
The reasons for levels of parent involvement need to be acknowledged. For example, many parents never make it to their children’s school.
This could be for a variety of reasons which may include:
- The age of their child. Often parents are only involved in their child’s schooling during the early years as their work schedules preclude them coming during normal school hours. For some parents their work schedules or type of work may preclude them.
- A negative experience in their own education has resulted in a mistrust of schools and educators.
- Immigrant families, whose documentation may not be complete, trying to keep a low profile.
- A lack of confidence.
Parent engagement activities should be comprehensive and promote inclusive strategies. Schools need to have a variety of approaches as one size does not always ‘fit’ all.
Read how Hyden Primary School started on their parental engagement journey.