SECONDARY SCHOOL
Connecting With Parents of Secondary Students
From January to April 2017, parents of students attending Francophone secondary schools in BC were invited to participate in meetings facilitated by the Fédération des parents. These meetings were organized in collaboration with their community's parents' association.
The series of conversations was meant to better understand the needs of the parents of adolescents, and to better respond to those needs.
The conversations gave about 100 participants -- mainly parents of students in Grades 7 to 12 enrolled in CSF schools -- the chance to explore, identify, and talk about their concerns, in an atmosphere that fostered listening, sharing, and discussion.
These meetings took place all over BC, and were very successful. Participants were able to express themselves on a personal level (relating to their skills as parents, for example), about their relationships with their children, and also about community (regarding relationships with the school and the larger Francophone community).
Here are a few comments made by parents who took part in the meetings:
- "I liked the way in which the meeting was organized; very friendly, and also how non-Francophone parents were made to feel comfortable. The questions were relevant and made us think."
- "I learned that the concerns of other parents were very similar to mine."
- "I liked being able to meet other parents and share stories that our own kids are going through together and in school."
- "The atmosphere was informal and very friendly; a good climate for sharing ideas."
The Fédération des parents team is working to capture the essence of the conversations and make up a list of the needs that parents expressed. In collaboration with its partners, the Fédération des parents will, over the next year, prepare one or two resources specifically designed for parents of secondary school students in BC.
In addition, these conversations with parents of adolescents will have long-term effects with the planned creation, by 2020, of other tools to encourage parents' support and commitment to their children, their school, and their community. So, be on the lookout for our publications and keep up to date with these new resources!
This project was made possible thanks to the support of Canadian Heritage.
