The role of Parents in Education
Parents have a much different role in public education in France than in the US. As a parent in France, it is clear that education is considered to be the "chase gardé", the exclusive competence of the French educational system. The parents' role is primarily to prepare their children for studious obediency in class. Parents are not welcome into the sphere of school pedagogy, except as a palliative measure for activities like maintaining the school library or the kermesse. For parents who want to implicate themselves more, they can offer to become "représentants de parents d'élèves" where they will expected to pa buffer between teachers and the other parents or to resolve peripheral problems such as the kermesse. In no case would they be invited to participate in fundamental pedagogical decisions such as the "projet d'école", the local school program. Should they be?In the US, parents are a part of this process, some teachers may say, too much so. Not only do parents want to get "their money's worth" since local taxes paid by parents finance in part local schools, but they also feel that they should have a say in the content of the school programs. Parents can be influential in determining program content like whether "intelligent design" another version of creationism be included in biology classes with equal stature to evolution. But they can also be influential in changing the school system, for instance, in accommodating handicapped children in school. In this sense, the French Educational system is a mastodon.
posted by Brett @ 4:51 PM
3 Comments:
I do agree that, in the french schoolar system, parents can only be involved in minor issues, and more material issues than pure education. In fact, it's a known fact that pupils learn how to live, how to behave in society, at school. That may explain why parents, in some case, might not feel as involved as wanted in the education of their children. Furthermore, school programs are decided by the ministry of education, that way, most parents do not feel the need to question it. It comes from a far upper level, so they take it just the way it is.
I never lived in the US, but i assume it is a society where the regular citizen can express himself, and even demand some changes. It is a good thing, for many reason. For instance, when the programs need to be updated, or when the school is not properly adapted for some of the pupils. However, some people can take advantage of it, and use the law for their own purpose.
But i have to admit that, in France, the "qualified" people supposed to write schoolar programs are long old-fashioned, especially in kindergarten or firsts grades. Parents are able to know what their kids need.
At the end of the day, we can say that, like every system, the french schoolar system has some flaws, but also have some good side.
The subject "Family and school" is not obvious to tackle in France because there is a lot of differents points of view about it.
It is true that french parents don't participate in their children's schooling.It exists for too many years that it becomes normal for parents to not intervene.But they should think that family is very important in children development.Parents should take a part more important at school.Education should be the matter of everybody included the parents in first. That's why educational personal should inform, sensibilize parents and give pieces of advice to them to help their children in first time at home and after please them to work together.
Yes, I think we have some backwardness in education and in others fields too...
The teachers-to-be like me have to realize the problem now to react in the future and not, as french people do always be proud of what we are, what we do, but look around and take example to others educational systems.
I've spent a few years dealing with high-level school problematics, and this has contributed to my understanding of some EU school systems : parents play various roles in the other EU countries, and are often very implicated in the life of their children.
The difference here is the mentality of French parents. Too often, they just send their kids at school and wait for them to come back home, which is where the problem lies : they rely on the state to make sure that all goes well and nothing wrong can happen. Unfortunately, this is impossible, and when something bad happens, these parents are usually the first complaining about it.
Parents' associations play a key role in a school's life; they should ensure that everything goes well a priori and not go for the easy path and wait for problems to happen before they start doing some work. In systems outside of France, they are associated, pupils are associated to a much higher level than the one they're associated in France, and collaborate to ensure a better climate in school.
From first hand experience, becoming a recognised organisation and taking part inthe decisional process is a tough job, but it is worth the effort, and if parents wish to become truly involved in school life, they should prove that they are willing to contribute to this process, and not complain a posteriori.
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