Education, Careers & Professional News
Parents To Have Stronger Voice In Education: Kennedy
Education Minister Gerard Kennedy pledged Monday to implement key recommendations of a parents group report, saying he wants parents to have a stronger voice in Ontarios education system.
The Parent Voice in Education Report, released on Monday, recommends the government develop a formal policy that would direct the Education Ministry, school boards and local schools on what steps they need to take to strengthen the involvement of parents in their childrens education.
For the first time in Ontario there will be a provincial policy to help parents engage in our publicly funded education system, Kennedy said in a statement.
Parents lead busy lives, and our new policy will make it easier for them to connect with schools, school boards and the Ministry of Education, he said.
The parents group also wants a direct say in what goes on in provincial classrooms and they want the governments backing.
Kennedy appointed 20 parent representatives to the project in November to find an alternative to the old Ontario Parent Council, an advisory group created, appointed and funded by the previous Conservative government.
The report also recommends the government create an Office of Parental Involvement within the Education Ministry and an advisory board of parents.
It also says there needs to be a stronger role and more support for parents at the local and provincial level.
Parents want their school councils to be effective, said Gabrielle Blais, chairwoman of the project.
They wish to be able to contribute more on an individual level to the education of their children and the public education system as a whole.
The Parent Voice group held 11 public meetings in eight communities and received more than 1,150 submissions.
It found that some parents felt welcome in their schools while others felt frustrated and ignored.
Parents told us of many examples when they spent literally hundred of hours being bounced from the teacher to the principal to the board to the ministry and back to the school with no answer and no help for their child, the report said.
Parents became frustrated watching their child struggle with a system that appeared indifferent to their needs.
They wanted the system transformed so that it was a more welcoming and inclusive environment for parents. They very clearly did not want more layers of bureaucracy or other mechanisms that would filter or translate their voice, says the 31-page report.
Kennedy said he will continue consulting with parents and parent groups about the report and how they can be more involved in the education system.