Why do we need a National Parents’ Committee

1. The National Parents’ Committee for Primary and Lower Secondary Education (Norwegian abbr. FUG) is a national committee for parents with children in primary and lower secondary education FUG is an advisory committee for the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. FUG runs external activities for parents/guardians, promotes good cooperation between home and school, and strengthens the role of parents in schools. This means that: • FUG safeguards the interests of parents/guardians vis-à-vis national educational authorities • FUG is a service and information body for parent contacts, Parents’ Council Working Committees (Norwegian abbreviation FAU) and Municipal Parents’ Councils (Norwegian abbreviation KFU) • FUG encourages greater parent involvement in schools along with parent contacts, FAUs coordinating committees/school boards and KFUs, FUG helps to ensure that pupils are offered the best possible educational facilities • FUG develops materials for use by parents and school employees

2. Why do we need a National Parents’ Committee Because • FUG has influence at national level on issues concerning cooperation between home and school and parental participation in schools • FUG helps to ensure that parents/guardians are aware of their rights and obligations and take part in the school development • FUG is a uniting body for all Parents’ Councils and Municipal Parents’ Councils What does legislation say about parents/guardians’ responsibility and duties? • The Norwegian Children Act, section 30: “Those who have parental responsibility are under obligation to bring up and maintain the child properly. They shall ensure that the child receives an education according to his or her ability and aptitude.” • The Norwegian Education Act, section 1-2: “The object of primary and lower secondary education shall be, in agreement and cooperation with the home, to help to give pupils a Christian and moral upbringing, to develop their mental and physical abilities, and to give them good general knowledge so that they may become useful and independent human beings at home and in society.”

3. Development of home-school partnerships in Norwegian schools. The present situation in Norway • 8% immigrants (1/3 western) and refugees, 10% in school, 30% in Oslo schools. • This part of school development is not prioritized despite of laws and white papers (parent influence), many schools have little real cooperation with parents in general and especially minority parents. • Media and some political parties usually portray immigrant parents as helpless and blame them when their children fail in school and in society. • Every year there are two indiviual parent-teacher meetings and two meetings between all the parents and the teacher. • To improve the situation it is crucial for the parents and teachers to be open to new methods rather than holding on to outdated methods that don't work. A different group of parents requires new methods.

4. Method • The project aim : Minority parents shall have increased confidence and strenthen their role as parents so that their children will function better in a multicultural society. Knowledge and conciousness-raising will contribute to empower partents to be guides and resources for their children. • The method used is action research. The choice of methods was natural as we need to think differently • The project groups in the schools evaluates each action to improve the weaknesses and retain the strengths. • We have collected good examples and letters and brochures that are translated to different languages on our webpage: www.foreldrenettet.no

5. Participants: 4 counties (17 schools and public offices.): spreading of experiences and devepment of methods. Empowerment of parent groups Barriers to success Parents • Prejudice and assumptions • Why do we have to do this? • Practical restrictions (work, housing, stress, language) • Social networks • Many children at home Schools • “Parents aren’t that important” - attitude • Principle not really interested • Too person dependent • Local authorities not involved

6. Successfulmethods • Meeting places • Regular meetings, parent assemblies, language specific meetings • Parent involvement • FAU, class-contacts, minority groups • Qualification of teachers • Visiting schools, conferences • Other methods • Reading, weekly plans, friend-groups • Written material • Web-page, letters, brochures, book of best practices