Description
– Mapping the Way for Family, School and Community Engagement
The importance of family involvement in a child’s education is the focus of a this new book from Mary Immaculate College (MIC) academics.
Written by Dr Sandra Ryan and Carol Lannin, Parents in Partnership: Mapping the Way for Family, School and Community Engagement explores the links between homes and schools, the role a parent can play in the school community and how partnership between schools and families gives students the support they need to reach their full potential.
Parents in Partnership, which was launched by Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon at MIC on Tuesday, aims to provide practical guidance for Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) coordinators, principals and teachers to help them take the initiative and to promote positive attitudes, behaviours and practices to build family, school and community engagement. Decades of research indicate that when parents are involved in supporting their child’s learning, children do better in school, they like school better, stay in school longer and have better life outcomes. This publication provides research evidence and examples of good practice from Irish schools covering areas such as communication and building relationships with parents; involving parents in learning in a variety of curricular areas, school policy and decision-making, and teacher professional development for family engagement.
Speaking at the launch of Parents in Partnership at MIC was Ombudsman for Children Dr Niall Muldoon, who said: “This book highlights the value of having a wide variety of partnerships in the school community that can help maximise the educational uptake of students. The authors make it clear that the most successful schools, with the most content children, have strong relationships between teachers and parents/caregivers as well as between the school and the students. These links enhance the learning potential of the students, increase the sense of worth of the parents and offer supports, in both directions, between home and school. I commend the authors for their very clear and easy to read work, which lays out a range of practical options for schools and educational institutions to draw on, so that the wider community can be recruited to help enhance the school experience for all students.”
