Parent-teacher co-operation is an important part of the Danish Municipal Schools (Folkeskolen). Parents have a say on the childrens’ schooling.
Contents:
Foreword
Schools should reflect the multiethnic character of the local community in the best possible way. This means that schools must respect the different cultures and attitudes of pupils and parents, both on an everyday basis and in the cooperation with parents. But it can be difficult for schools to arrange things so that everybody is satisfied. This is the reason why parents, pupils and teachers must talk to each other when decisions are made or problems must be solved at the school. This text provides you with information about how, by working together with the school, you can help to ensure that teaching and teacher- parent cooperation takes your opinions and wishes into consideration.
The text only provides you with general information, but you are always welcome to contact the school if you have any questions that you would like answered. A number of parents talk about how they cooperate with the school in the leaflet. We hope that their stories will provide you with some ideas regarding how you can cooperate actively with your school.
What pupils must learn in the Folkeskole
All Folkeskole pupils have one thing in common — they must work on the basis of the Primary Education Act. This tells us such things as what pupils must learn at school. Among other things, they must learn to speak different languages, to write, and to do arithmetic. They must learn about Danish cultural conditions and about other cultures. They must also learn what it means to live in a democratic society.
Pupils learn about different cultures and democracy through such means as having an influence on the everyday routines at the school. This is why they take part in making decisions and solving problems at the school — in their own classes or on the pupils' council. Pupils must learn to work in groups in their classes and to cooperate with each other. In the pupils' council they take part in making the decisions that concern the school at an everyday level.
This is all necessary so that they can develop, so that they will be able to do well in Danish society, and to gain employment or to continue with their education when they leave the Folkeskole.
Activities for pupils in the Folkeskole
Pupils must attend daily teaching. But there are also many other activities at the school. Some activities, such as excursions, school camps, and school plays are part of the teaching. This is why pupils cannot be excused from these activities unless a special arrangement has been made with the school. Many schools also have other activities such as class and school parties, and homework cafés where pupils can get help with their homework. Pupils can also meet their classmates at the cafés and make new friends. When they are together with their classmates pupils can learn about and from each other's cultures, and taking part in social activities at the school helps to develop their Danish skills.
When pupils go to school camps, homework cafés, school parties or other arrangements, there are always adults to supervise them.
It is a great advantage to be able to speak different languages and to have a knowledge of other cultures. This is one reason why Copenhagen Municipality, as one of the few municipalities in Denmark, still offers mother-tongue teaching. Mother-tongue teaching is an extra educational offer for bilingual pupils. It is also possible to arrange special classes in Danish for those pupils who need it.
If you would like to know more about mother-tongue teaching you can ask your child's teacher, or call the municipal administration.
After school hours - leisure-time care facilities
Leisure-time care facilities are places where children can go after school hours. There are different kinds of leisure-time care facilities: Pupils in pre-school class up to and including the third form go to play centres or one of the institutions under SFO. The 10-14 year-old children go to recreation clubs, but some institutions are divided so that the 12-13 year-old children go to junior clubs and the 14-17 year-olds go to youth clubs.
Children are together with their friends and the adult educators at leisure-time care facilities. They can play games and try out different activities such as playing music, cultivating sports, painting and sewing, and they can also go on excursions. At these places your child learns how to be together with other children and adults in his or her free time. This also helps to develop and strengthen social and language skills.
The educators at the leisure-time care facilities make sure that there is a connection between what the children do at school and at the care facility. This means that the change from the school to the care facility is easy for children to understand and something they feel comfort-able with. But if there is anything that you find difficult to understand or would like to ask about you are always welcome to contact your child's educators.
You can enrol your child at a leisure-time care facility either by talking to the leader at the school or by calling your local, municipal administration.
They will tell you what it costs to have your child at a leisure-time care facility and which recreation centre or club belongs to your child's school.
Friendship at school and during leisure hours
Friendship in the class and at school is important in ensuring that your child feels happy and secure at school. Pupils also find learning easier when there is an atmosphere of good comradeship in the class. Good friendships can arise when children are together after school, for instance. This could be on such occasions as birthdays, when they play together, or spend the night at each other's homes. This makes it important for you to encourage your child to take part in the social life of the class, both during and after school hours.
A good deal of children's social life is governed by their parents. You are therefore also responsible as parents for ensuring that the social life of the class functions well. You can strengthen your children's social lives by inviting other pupils from the class to visit your home, or by arranging a little party for the other pupils when it is your child's birthday, for example.
If you are in doubt about how to support your child's social life you can talk to his or her class teacher. You could also ask the other parents with children in the class about their traditions in connection with such things as birthdays or when children spend the night at each other's homes.
Many schools have a policy in connection with bullying. Ask your child's class teacher what your school does to stop bullying.
Cooperation between teachers and parents
The Primary Education Act states that teachers and parents must cooperate. It is the responsibility of the school and parents that pupils learn what they must learn. There are therefore meetings with parents at schools where there is an opportunity to talk about your child, the class, and the school. Active cooperation between parents and teachers is for children's sake. Going to school is more pleasant and secure for children when parents keep up to date with their everyday routines at the school. Each class has its own class teacher who you can always ask about anything that concerns your child or the school. At some schools there are either bilingual teachers or mother-tongue teachers who you can also contact.
All parents must have plenty of opportunities to take part in the life of the school. We therefore provide you with information in the language you understand best to the greatest possible extent. If necessary the bilingual teachers or mother-tongue teachers at the school can interpret for you when there are meetings at the school. If there is no teacher at the school who can interpret for you the school can arrange for an interpreter to be present.
What people talk about at school meetings?
During school-home interviews you will be told how your child is getting along at school, both with regard to learning and socially. You will also be told if there are problems with your child or with the class he or she is in.
Schools also hold parents' meetings in which all the parents with children in a particular class take part. Sometimes there is a theme for these meetings, such as when children are going to school camp. At these meetings parents can ask questions about school camp. Teachers will also tell you what sort of food pupils are given when they are at school camp, and which rules there are.
The number of meetings schools hold and how they handle practical matters differ. Schools also have different rules. When you come to meetings at the school teachers will tell you about the school's rules. These could include rules about bullying, about being excused during religious festivals, clothing, etc., in connection with sports and swimming.
Parents can also have an influence on the rules at schools. If you would like to have an influence on the rules you must talk to the teachers about this, and you can also do so at the meetings held at the school. It is not certain that there will always be a solution to problems that everybody is satisfied with — but by talking to each other it becomes easier for everybody at the school to respect each other's views. You must never hesitate to contact the teacher if you have questions or if there is something that you find strange.
When you receive invitations or messages from the school you must remember to answer. This means that teachers can be sure that parents have received them.When you go to a meeting at the school it is also important that you come at the right time, or it will be difficult for teachers to plan meetings with all parents.You should tell the class teacher if there is a meeting at a time when you cannot come so that another time can be arranged.
Your opportunities to have an influence
There are many opportunities to have an influence because cooperating with parents is considered important at the Folkeskole. All schools have a school board and some of the members are parents. There are also other areas at many schools where parents can have an influence, such as class councils and ethnic councils. If you would like to know more about your opportunities to have an influence at your school you can speak to the class teacher or the school's mother-tongue teachers.
School boards
All schools have a school board which cooperates with teachers and the head teacher. To become a member of the school board you must stand as a candidate. There is an election once every four years. When there are elections to school boards meetings are held at schools where you can get information on how to become a candidate and what sort of work school boards are responsible for.
School boards have an influence on such areas as what the school should spend money on. They also help to decide which areas the school will work on in the future and which rules there should be at the school. Schools boards are made up of seven parents, two teachers, and two pupils, so parents are in the majority.
The head teacher helps the school board with its work, attends the meetings it holds and also makes sure that the decisions made by the school board are put into practice.
Class councils
At many schools some of the cooperation with parents is carried out through a class council. Class councils are made up of three to four parents, two to three pupils, and the teacher from each class. Parents with children who are in the class decide for themselves who should be on the class council. The council plans the activities that involve the whole class, such as deciding on themes for parents' meetings, and planning school camps and social arrangements.
The class council also has contact with the school board so that the school can ensure that the parents on the council can have an influence on what the school board should work on.
Being an active member of a class council is a good way of learning about what your child does at school and also gives you an opportunity to get to know the class teachers and other parents.
Ethnic councils
Some schools, mostly in major cities also have ethnic councils and the municipality's plan to promote integration in the Folkeskole states, among other things, that schools must further cooperation with parents. A school can do this through such means as having one or more ethnic councils.
Ethnic councils differ from school to school. In some ethnic councils parents are divided into language groups so that meetings can take place in parents' mother-tongue. The individual school and parents decide what ethnic councils should work on and how much influence they should have.
If your school does not have an ethnic council you can ask the head teacher to take the initiative to establish one.
Influence on leisure-time institutions
All leisure-time institutions cooperate closely with parents and include them as much as possible in their everyday routines. You can always come and talk to the educators.
All recreation centres have a parents' board which the institution's leader and two members of staff are also members of. Parents are in the majority on the board and parents' boards have an influence on such areas as the centre's finances, appointing staff, and the activities that the centre should offer.
There are elections to parents' boards once a year. Membership of parents' boards is for one year at a time. Elections are held at the institution's parents' meeting during the autumn.
At the SFOs the school board is also the board for leisure-time care schemes.
Only a few recreation, junior, and youth clubs have parents' boards. This is because these clubs are intended for older children and young people who must be able to have an influence on the facilities provided by their clubs themselves. Some clubs have users' councils which club members and staff/leaders take part in.
What you can expect of the Folkeskole
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that your children will be properly taught so that they can do well in Danish society
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that you are always welcome to contact the school's staff
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that you will be involved in matters that are connected with your child's schooling
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that you will be given precise information on how your child is getting on at school
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that the school will treat you and your child with respect
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that the school is willing to listen to you
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that the school will make an interpreter available if you need one
- that you can contact the head teacher if you feel that you have problems that you cannot solve with the help of the class teacher.
What the Folkeskole expects of you
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that you take part in meetings at the school and other activities for parents
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that you ask if there is anything you are in doubt about
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that you take an interest in your child's school attendance by talking with him or her about school
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that you help to solve problems involving your child and his or her class
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that you suggest changes and solutions if there are practical matters at the school that you are not satisfied with
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that you support your child in his or her social life and activities, both at school and after school hours
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that you reply when you are contacted by the school
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that you come at the right time when you have an appointment at the school, and remember to cancel the appointment if you are unable to come
(This is an adapted and generalized version of a brochure Playing your part in School life published in 2003 by the Copenhagen Municipality, Department for Educational and Youth Affairs)
