Response to ouders & onderwijs on advice education council about the relationship between parents and schools.

Response to ouders & onderwijs on advice education council about the relationship between parents and schools.

The relationship between parents and schools is under pressure. But the solution according to Ouders & Onderwijs is not in individual expectations of parents. What is needed are better conditions, clear rights and good support.

Today the Education Council published the letter advice Relationship between parents and school about the tensions between parents and schools. Ouders & Onderwijs responds together with other parent organizations to the advice.

The Education Council rightly states that the relationship between parents and schools is under pressure. According to us, tensions arise mainly because of the lack of tailored education support, clear rights and necessary conditions.

The problem is not with ‘consumer-parents’

The Education Council emphasizes in the advice the increasing ‘consumerism’ of parents and parents making more individual claims. Ouders & Onderwijs does not recognize itself in this image.

Parents who file complaints or disputes usually do this not from a consumer attitude, but from despair and powerlessness. For example, they get stuck finding a tailored education place or the necessary support for their child and no longer know where to turn.

Make the distance between parents and schools smaller

We agree with the criticism of the Education Council on scale enlargement. Because decision-making is at school governing body level, parents are often at a distance.

When decisions are increasingly made at school governing body level, parents can come further away from the place where their child goes to school. Ouders & Onderwijs therefore believes that the position of parents in school participation council must be strengthened to reduce that distance again.

The Education Council rightly states that tensions between parents and the education of their children cannot be seen apart from government policy, school enlargement and uncertainty. Therefore Ouders & Onderwijs also finds it unfair that the focus lies on the attitude and expectations of parents.

Our advice:

1. Guarantee the right to tailored and accessible education with clear frameworks.
   Give schools and parents clarity about what tailored support is and provide the right conditions for schools to offer that support.

1. Restore the human scale in education.
   Restore the position of parents in decision-making and make sure that joint participation council and decision-making take place as much as possible close to the student, the parent and the teacher.

1. Test new laws and regulations beforehand on the position of parents and students. Study beforehand what new laws and regulations mean for the rights, participation council and legal protection of parents and students.

Parents are not against schools, but next to their child. Schools and parents must work together from equality, trust and respect. A good relationship with parents is an important condition for good education.