Education Governance - What it means for CLD
Section 2 - Parental and Community Engagement
Points and Pointers
The areas that we might wish to comment on within the consultation document (points) or give some suggestions to improving what is suggested (pointers).
ELGIN GROUP 1
Section 2 - Parental and community engagement
Contradictions as to who the main educator is school or parents
CLD role need clarified and defined
Schools communities is not the learning community which is wider than just the school
CLD role needs defined like the role of the parents.
Community empowerment bill should be include in educational governance- next step
Leadership training for teachers.
Innovative ways to communicate and interact with the local communities
ELGIN GROUP 2
Parent and Community Engagement
What is the definition of community?
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IS this section contradicting regards the role of parents.
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How do we ensure we get a fair representative of parents rather than the usual participants.
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The section seems to have a narrow definition of what mean by community. Almost focusing on the community being the family pupils and schools.
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The section does not define parents as educators and the influence they could have in this role, and schools ability to place trust in parents to lead as educators.
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Defining the role of the HSLW post and also other key posts.
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The need to look at education being out schools as well as within.
ABERDEEN group 1
Current parents forums? Are they being consulted/plans for them to be included changes afoot using current examples of good practice
Reduction in locally based community staff
Definition of "parent"?
Child Protection issues
Glossary of terms would be useful on this
What do they mean by parental and community engagement – not much mention – what about the rest of the community – health, police, social work, nhs etc
Long term approach 's short term fix
Parents experiences good or bad may impact the future or the future involvement of their children's education.
How are we going to measure this – what is the current baseline
Any type of consultation or engagement should be based on the longer term -
Rights of children
Article 12 – UN Rights of the Child
Rights Respects
Youth Action Forums and Scottish Youth Parliament
Examples of good practice – Northfield CC
Aberdeen Group 2
Section 2 – Parental and Community Engagement
Who are “we?”
Parents should be genuinely empowered.
Is there a role for CLD to support parents?
Are existing services such as family learning in the best place to develop the home to school link work? Should this happen across the board? Skills may lie with CLD.
Question’s seem a bit leading? (feedback in What do you think of this consultation question.)
s this about the school community or the community? How do we ensure the wider community is engaged?
What is the current definition of “parental Involvement”
not wrong but not complete. In this section there is no mention of community, it is all school and parent based. There is no relation to CLD or who can support others outside schools e.g. Adult learning, people of deprived areas. Teachers don't have time to give support outside school. It should include all community and not parent specific - maybe include polices with community focus i.e. youth groups etc within the act
INVERCLYDE CLD
Varied involvement of CLD in schools depending on the individual school, parental involvement is varied across the area. This document doesn't really say how they will drive improvement and bring in those who are disengaged. Who will perform this role if it is not the school? Schools are not often community based now and children get bused in or dropped off in cars. The modern world has often both parents working.
Document is not written in an easy to read format so this is not making it available to many parents or carers so how do they expect relevant, honest feedback.
External consultants should be used for feedback for schools. School ask the questions they want to ask and this should be more impartial. Parents are often to embarrassed to answer honestly if asked options so often given incorrect feedback or do not reply at all.
We need better links with local Community Councils as this will include links that affect everyone in the local area, often community councils reflect views on the community around issues that affect them such as parking, food outlets, litter and issues affecting community relating to young people.
Schools should have more consultations in the local Community Centres and not always in schools as many parents have bad experience of school and will not attend such meetings.
Use CLD's links to gain access to parents through Adult and Literacy Classes. CLD workers often have access to parents who don't attend meeting in school.
What does "Community" actually mean? Is it the school community or the wider local community?
There is sometimes a different ethos between the CLD and teachers around parental involvement. CLD Workers should be able to encourage parents to challenge opinions and attitudes without feeling prejudice.
Improved knowledge of CLD work for teachers and student teachers to help improve parental participation.
What is the role of CLD in parental involvement, CLD not referenced in this section.
What about the role of education outside the school? parental involvement in these activities are important too.
what matters will parents be consulted on? what aspects of policy and curriculum? is it approving it or getting involved in creating it?
What role will CLD have in the early years and childcare settings? CLD are already involved but largely related to education and family learning.
Bathgate
question 8 - we can't comment as section 2 is all about the schools and the school community and NOT community in the wider sense.
CLD not even considered within the section.
Where do adults with no children at school feature in this if it is about wider learning.
Layer of equity missing in this section. Elitist process
Question 9 - No mention of CLD although we work with the parents who wont be round the table and we are not even considered a partner.
Question 10 - Very school focused so how could this translate to any other service.
EDINBURGH 17/01/18
Community engagement should come in under the engagement in learning.
This section is just lip service to CLD and always comes as an afterthought. It isn't integrated throughout.
How will the home to school link work? It isn't connected and further support will be required from other services for a joint approach.
Parental choice and community engagement are different things and a better definition.
A clearer definition of what is actually meant by certain terms and the mechanism of how CLD will interact with this. A glossary of terms and definitions is missing from the whole document.
Good to acknowledge the Equalities 2010 Act and those who need to participate but maybe can't due to sanctions, poverty and illiteracy. How will they be supported and included?
Current engagement with early years and primary years is ok at the moment but there is a gap in parental engagement in high schools.
Where are those parents (perhaps older with no children at school) involved in this?
Tayside 22.1.18
Group 3
Q 8 - 10
There is no reference to the community empowerment act
The engagement is focused on school curriculum and policy, including improvement plans - what about the wider community?
Parental involvement could be enhanced by a CLD approach and use of the national standards for community engagement. There is no reference to adult and family learning and this could be a vehicle for wider family engagement / holistic support to young people
Childcare settings currently include parent engagement as part of their current registration requirements - so they should be included.
Alloa Group Unsure what is meant by community and community engagement CLD already carry this out through community development and empowerment work this doesn't seem to be recognised.
What is the role of the school link worker? this could be a duplication of existing CLD work, there needs to be a greater understanding of how CLD works with communities and individuals
Concern that CLD will become an extension of the school and will be restricted in its practice and diversity.
CLD often seem to pick up work that schools find to problematic and offload to CLD, it would be more constructive if CLD was involved in meaningful partnership in the outset, thus recognising parity of esteem between the teaching and CLD professions.
Additional support and the recognition of inequality will be required to ensure that more marginalised and economically disadvantaged parents are able to engage effectively, this as it stands will reinforce social inclusion and privilege.