Behind Every Successful School, There Are Involved Parents!

Parents are their children’s first educators and many wish to continue to play a role in their children’s education once they begin school.

Research shows that the children whose parents play an active role in their education tend to be more successful. Moreover, through this involvement parents can foster communication and feel more like they belong to the school community.

There are many ways a parent can get involved in their child’s education. Participating in the school’s parents’ association (APÉ or PAC) is one of them.

Role and mandate of the APÉ

The role of the school’s parents’ association is to represent and promote parents’ interests. The APÉ is composed of all parents (or tutors) who have children registered at the school. The APÉ is often incorporated as not-for-profit organization under the Society Act. The APÉ organization exists on its own, distinct from the individuals in it and distinct from the school.

In partnership with the school’s Comité de partenaires (Partners' committee), the APÉ helps to implement the School Plan (projet éducatif). The association promotes school policies and supports efforts aiming to develop activities designed to enrich the educational experience. The APÉ has a mandate to consult with parents on relevant issues and to disseminate information. The APÉ is also a source of information for education authorities regarding parents’ concerns and the school’s needs.

It can make recommendations to the CSF, the school administration and the teaching staff on any school-related topic, with the exeption of those related to the school’s Comité de partenaires. It seeks consistency between the parents’ vision and the work of the school’s Comité de partenaires.

The APÉ liaises with the Fédération des parents (BC Federation of Francophone Parents) and the CSF. 

The APÉ appoints:

• the parent representative to the school’s administrators’ selection committee;
• both representatives to the FPFCB annual conference and annual general meeting;
• parent representatives to the Partners’ Committee.

The APÉ may, at its discretion: 

• organize cultural activities;
• offer family “francization” programs;
• conduct fundraising activities (funding campaigns);
• operate a nursery school or daycare service;
• organize/provide community services or activities;
• organize recruiting drives.

How can non-French-speaking parents participate in a Francophone school’s parents’ association?

There are two basic points that need to be established from the outset:

• all parties agree to respect and preserve the French-speaking nature of the institutional sphere, and
• non-French-speaking parents are welcomed as full participants in their children’s education.

Here are few ideas* that some APÉs are putting into practice in order to include all parents:

• Create a “buddy system” to bring Francophone and exogamous families together for social and academic functions.
• Strike committees to handle specific issues in English (e.g., transportation, playground, certain fundraising projects).
• Distribute background information on issues well before meetings, so that non-French-speaking parents can discuss them with their francophone spouses.
• Use graphics whenever possible during meetings and in written communications to illustrate issues.
• Organize English-language presentations on topics of special interest to non-francophone parents, such as reading and bilingualism.
• Organize conversational French courses for non-French-speaking parents, and tailor the courses so that participants are better able to function in the day-to-day life of the school.*

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*Source: Taylor, Glen, 2004, “I’m With You! Exogamous Families’ Guide to the World of Francophone Education”, p. 86-87.