Education minister Paul: ‘Great how Ouders & Onderwijs helps parents on their way’.

Education minister Paul: ‘Great how Ouders & Onderwijs helps parents on their way’.

Education minister Paul visited Ouders & Onderwijs last Monday. In a talk with theme adviser Arline Spierenburg and director Lobke Vlaming, the minister supported the importance of parent involvement. She also listened in with permission to our advice point.

Minister Mariëlle Paul regularly visits different organizations to discuss improving education. This time she joined Ouders & Onderwijs to listen to the experiences of parents and students in education.

Importance of Parent Involvement

Ouders & Onderwijs director Lobke Vlaming and theme adviser Arline Spierenburg explained to the minister that the bad image of parents often hinders good cooperation with schools. ‘When a parent is seen as difficult, it usually means a lot has happened already. The problem starts small, and if the parent is not heard, it can grow until several professionals from different areas have to address the situation,’ says Vlaming.

Tailored education

The use of tailored education was also discussed. How do we ensure that options well described in politics are actually adopted by schools? ‘If schools say they are ‘action hesitant’, and a child must go to another school or special education, it usually reflects the school’s stress because it cannot give the child what it needs. Instead of looking at what is best for the child,’ say Vlaming and Spierenburg.

Vlaming and Spierenburg also told the minister that the referral to special education must be handled more carefully. ‘It is painful when parents find out at the last moment their child must go to special education while they had no idea anything was wrong. Sometimes children go on vacation without knowing where they will go after the holiday,’ says Vlaming.

School participation council

Besides education itself, there was also room to discuss the official participation of parents in the school participation council. According to Vlaming, there is often poor contact and cooperation between other parents and the school participation council. ‘Rules about parent consultations are still unclear. Also, school participation council members are often not aware of the basic knowledge needed for their role.’

Questions?

Minister Paul enjoyed hearing how Ouders & Onderwijs helps parents. Do you have questions or need advice about your child’s education? Check our full Knowledge Base about common challenges in primary, secondary education and mbo. Or contact our advice point for free help.