LAUNCH OF THE INITIATIVE IN 2011
CIP - Center for Interactive Pedagogy
Foundation for an Open Society Serbia
Ministry of Education and Science within the DILS Project
2013
2012
5 municipalities
85 ed. inst.
1 NGO
10 municipalities
210 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 analysis
2. Empowering the parents (motivation, training, networking)
3. Establishing channels of communication:
PI/PS/SS <-> PARENTS <-> LSG
4. 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
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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
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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 teachers
EDUCATION
• 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...)
• Resources
EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND MUTUAL SUPPORT
• Problems Parent Councils face in their work
• Good practice examples
2. RESULTS
RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS
PUBLICATIONS:
 “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 way
Prepared 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 MENU
Activities within the Initiative
Information
Library
• 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 Parents
NEWS
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
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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 COUNCILSBUILDING 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/SS
Each Parent Council appoints one representative and two
deputies to the MPC
Equitable 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 level
MPCs cooperate with civil society organizations, state institutions,
the media and amongst themselves
4. RESULTS
MPCs SET UP IN FIVE MUNICIPALITIES
TEAM WORK OF PARENTS
MPC 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:
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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!