Parents were, until the establishment of the Participation Council (1991) and the Local School Council (1988), not used to participating in school policy making. The establishment of these new participatory councils was an important innovation. The purpose of this paper is to report upon the opinions of parents concerning both councils. In order to examine these, the authors employed a survey based approach. The data suggests that, whatever their other merits, these new bodies are not on their own a sufficient condition for enabling increased levels of parental participation in the decision-making processes of schools. If this is to happen, councils will need to develop a new culture of cooperation. Only then will parents have a real say in school policy making.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Chapman, J.
, ed. (1990) School-Based Decision-Making and Management.London and New York: Falmer Press.
2.
Deem, R.
(1994) ‘Free Marketeers or Good Citizens? Educational Policy and Lay Participation in the Administration of Schools’, British Journal of Educational Studies42(1): 23–37.
3.
Deem, R.
(1996) ‘The School, the Parent, the Banker and the Local Politician: What can we Learn from the English Experience of Involving Lay People in the Site-Based Management of Schools?’, in C.J. Pole and R. Chawla-Duggan (eds) Reshaping Education in the 1990s: Perspectives on Secondary Schooling.London and New York: Falmer Press.
4.
Deem, R.
and Brehony, K. (1992) ‘Can Consumers and Education Professionals Work Together in Winning Schools?’, in F. Smit, W. Van Esch and H.J. Walberg (eds) Parental Involvement in Education.Nijmegen: ITS.
5.
Deem, R.
, Brehony, K. and Heath, S. (1995) Active Citizenship and the Governing of Schools. Buckingham and Philadelphia: Open University Press.
6.
Departement Onderwijs
(1998) Vlaams Onderwijs in Cijfers: 1997–1998.Brussels: Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap.
7.
Devos, G.
, Vandenberghe, P. and Verhoeven, J.C. (1989) Schoolbeleid: Mogelijkheden en Grenzen. Een Empirisch Onderzoek.Leuven and Amersfoort: Acco.
8.
Fine, M.
(1997) ‘(Ap)parent Involvement: Reflections on Parents, Power, and Urban Public Schools’, in A.H. Halsey, H. Lauder, P. Brown and A.S. Wells (eds) Education: Culture, Economy, Society.Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.
9.
Golby, M.
(1992) ‘Parents as School Governors’, in P. Munn (ed.) Parents and Schools: Customers, Managers or Parents?London: Routledge.
10.
ILEA
(1987) ‘Improving Home-School Relations in London’s Schools’, in J. Bastiani (ed.) Parents and Teachers II: From Policy to Practice.Windsor: NFER-Nelson.
11.
Johnson, D.
and Ransom, J. (1987) ‘Family and School: The Relationship Re-assessed’, in J. Bastiani (ed.) Parents and Teachers II: From Policy to Practice.Windsor: NFER-Nelson.
12.
Munn, P.
(1992) ‘Parents as School Board Members: School Managers and Friends’, in P. Munn (ed.) Parents and Schools: Customers, Managers or Parents?London: Routledge.
13.
Thody, A.
(1989) ‘Who are the Governors?’, Educational Management & Administration17(2): 139–146.
14.
Vanderhoeven, J.
(1991–1992) ‘Medezeggenschap: Een duik in de lokale autonomie’, Tijdschrift voor Onderwijsrecht en Onderwijsbeleid(3): 157–172.
15.
Verhoeven, J.C.
, Fosty, G. and Gaignage, R. (1992) ‘Federalization, Decentralization, Devolution and Deregulation’, in Education in Belgium: The Diverging Paths. Brussels: Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, Departement Onderwijs-MinistËre de l’Education, de la Recherche et de la Formation-Verwaltung der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft, Abteilung Unterricht.
16.
Verhoeven, J.C.
and Gheysen, A. (1993a) Scholen en nieuwe voorschriften: Een evaluatie door directies, leerkrachten en ouders.Leuven: Sociologisch Onderzoeksinstituut.
17.
Verhoeven, J.C.
and Gheysen, A. (1993b) The Effectiveness of Schooling and Educational Resource Management in Belgium (Flanders), OECD Report.Leuven: Sociologisch Onderzoeksinstituut.
18.
Verhoeven, J.C.
, Jegers, M. and Van Heddegem, I. (1997) Participatieraden en lokale schoolraden in Vlaanderen. De eerste jaren.Leuven: Garant.
19.
Vincent, C.
(1996) Parents and Teachers: Power and Participation. London: Falmer Press.
20.
XXX
(1988) ‘Bijzonder decreet betreffende de Autonome Raad van het Gemeenschapsonderwijs, 19 december 1988’, Belgisch Staatsblad(29 Dec.).
21.
XXX
(1991) ‘Decreet betreffende de medezeggenschap in het gesubsidieerd onderwijs, 23 oktober 1991’, Belgisch Staatsblad(14 Nov.).
