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Media Release
FRAMEWORK FOR SUCCESSFUL FAMILY-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS
28 May 2004, MIN 714/04
A project to identify best practices of parent-school partnerships has been launched, outlining the principles for effective parental engagement with schools.
The Australian Government has provided $100,000 towards the work of the Australian Council of State School Organisations and the Australian Parents Council to develop a Family-School Partnership Framework for effective partnerships. I have today also released a statement outlining the Australian Government’s commitment to seeing parents as partners in school education (attached).
The Government will support the extensive trialling of the framework strategies and the trial will showcase successful strategies for forming and sustaining strong partnerships between families and schools, and will assess their impact on education outcomes. Findings will be disseminated to school leaders and teachers across Australia.
Schools have an important opportunity to take the lead in forming and maintaining effective family-school partnerships that positively influence all students’ learning. Investing in building these strong unions will pay dividends – not just for students and their families, but also for schools – in the form of improved learning, behaviour, engagement and community relations.
Parental encouragement and support for learning activities at home, and their involvement in schools and classrooms, has a positive impact on children’s learning. High levels of parental involvement are strongly related to increased student motivation leading to improved school behaviour, sense of wellbeing, school attendance levels and lower dropout rates.
Across the country many families and schools are working together as genuine education partners. Successful features include support by school leaders for family involvement, a strong commitment to learning, a welcoming school climate and two-way communication.
However, often parents are still only invited by schools to help run the canteen, raise funds or tidy up school grounds. The scope of these partnerships needs to be widened if families are to become real partners in the education of their children.
The Howard Government has provided $100,000 to support the development of the framework. It will be the partnerships we build between parents, school staff, students and the wider community that will ensure our schools will become models of the way we would like our society to function.
Parents and interested members of the community also have until 31 May to respond to the Australian Government’s national consultation on schools, Taking Schools to the Next Level.
The Howard Government launched the consultation on 11 March, asking parents and the community to submit their views by 30 April. Due to a high level of interest the consultation time was extended to give parents, teachers and interested members of the community more time to have their say.
Consultation kits have been distributed to schools, parent groups and community organisations across the nation. People from all over Australia have applauded the Australian Government’s initiative in seeking their views on education.
The consultation can be accessed and responded to online, at www.dest.gov.au/nef/schools and copies of the consultation kits are in all schools. A CD-ROM version is available by phoning 1300 559 655 or emailing schoolsframework@dest.gov.au.
The full text of the statement can be found on: http://www.dest.gov.au/Ministers/Media/Nelson/2004/05/n001270504.asp
Media Contacts:
Dr Nelson’s Office: Ross Hampton 0419 484 095
Dept of Education, Science & Training: Laila Lacis 0412 040 034
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