Relations between parents and the school

Modern education increasingly relies on collaboration between teachers and family units. A fantastic wish, and an alliance that could bear fruit if it were really envisaged in everyday life. Because, as noted by education researcher Tania Ogay (University of Fribourg), there are major obstacles to this spirit, which schools are calling for.

In fact, for the specialist, much of what she observed in the field can be attributed to the school's ethnocentrism. In other words, teachers (and principals) are convinced that parents know enough about the school process and the school their children attend.

But this vision couldn't be more wrong, and is detrimental to the integration of parents into the alliance. As a result, most will "resign" from the pact between class and family. The school adopts this protective approach against intrusive parents, who can interfere with daily life in the classroom. However, they are much more of a minority than they may think, and in turn, this protection prevents those who would otherwise need to enter from feeling welcome.

What's more, like many other professions, teachers are subject to ever-increasing time pressures. Their workload is increasing, and they have less and less time to talk to parents and others. In fact, some are even criticized by colleagues for giving too much time to families. This is a view that needs to change, according to the researcher, if parents are to be truly integrated into the educational alliance.

Length: 26 minutes

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