First Staat van de School participation council: Members Positive About Their Role.

First Staat van de School participation council: Members Positive About Their Role.

Research shows that the role of the school participation council at school is mostly experienced positively by members. The cooperation is good, they are taken seriously and they have enough knowledge, information, and support. However, there is room for improvement. Especially the onboarding of school participation council members and contact with the base can be better. This appears from the first State of the School Participation Council, a study released today by Ouders & Onderwijs together with Vereniging Openbaar Onderwijs, LAKS, and ROV.

Score 7.3 For Functioning Of School Participation Council

Parents, students, and staff are positive about the functioning of the school participation council. More than 80% of the members think that they and the council generally perform sufficiently or well. Also, more than three quarters are satisfied with cooperation among themselves and with the school governing body. This shows in different ways. Members feel heard and taken seriously. They also feel there is enough space to discuss important topics. Members are positive about the needed information, knowledge, and support: 68% have enough knowledge and information and 72% have enough support and resources for the council work.

Better Contact With The Base Needed

The study also shows a clear point to improve. Members give contact with the base a score of 5.7. More than half of the members keep the base informed about their activities and have clearly findable contact details. The same amount says they have enough chances to get in touch with the base. Yet this happens less often: 37% of members regularly ask the base for opinions on certain topics. There is little feedback: only 25% say the base actively contacts them. Contact mostly happens via email, a newsletter, and at the schoolyard or classroom.

For parents in the council, contact with the base is extra hard: 56% rate contact with other parents as insufficient. They see fewer chances to get in touch, keep the base less informed, and ask less often for opinions of other parents. These parents also contact the council less often.

Onboarding School Participation Council Members Needs Extra Attention

The start of new members does not always go smoothly. Over a third of the members say they were not well onboarded when they started. Of the 42% who did not attend a basic course, 52% would have wanted to. A missed chance, because 92% of members who did attend a course found it useful.

About The Study

The State of the School Participation Council grew from a partnership between Ouders & Onderwijs, Vereniging Openbaar Onderwijs, LAKS, and ROV. The study was answered in autumn 2022 by 426 members of the school participation councils. Of these, 198 were parents, 207 staff, and 21 students. Most respondents are in the school participation council (68%), and the central participation council is also well represented (18%). Of the participants, 55% talk along in primary education and 45% in secondary education. Do you want to take part in education discussions? Then sign up for the Landelijk Ouderpanel. You will get an email a few times a year with a questionnaire matched to your personal situation.