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Parent Leaders Training Course
A Joint Training Course by the Foundation for Educational Services ( FES )
and the Association of School Councils (AKS).

•	Brief Description
•	Aims of the Parent Leaders Training Courses
•	Results of the Parent Leaders Training Course:
•	Parents' voices

Brief Description

The Parent Leaders Training Course's content was built on the feedback by parents while they were receiving non formal and informal training. When the Id f'Id Animator co-worked with ‘parent leaders' during the parent-to-parent meetings project and the parent-to-parent courses project, non formal training was then given by the Id f'Id Animator.

Continuous evaluations of the parent leaders' experience in co-working with the Id f'Id Animators in the running of the parent-to-parent courses and meetings indicated that a training programme for them as parent leaders is very much desired.

Figure 1 indicates that out of the total of 74 ‘parent leaders' during the scholastic year 2002-2003, 64 expressed the wish to attend a formal training course for parent leaders, while only four replied in the negative stating that they want to give others the opportunity to become parent leaders (2 parents) and another 2 parents said that they have other commitments and therefore could not commit themselves to further training. Six parents did not reply. As can be seen in the pie chart below, the prospect of further adult education is very positive and challenging.

Figure 2 points out the reasons why Parent Leaders request a Parent Leaders Training Course:

Furthermore, parent leaders were asked what knowledge and skills they would like to include in the design of this further training. Figure 3 shows the themes being requested by parent leaders to be included in such a training course.

The challenge was to balance between what the parent leaders are asking for and the educational and pedagogical component of a formal training programme. The Foundation for Educational Services (FES) and the Association of School Councils (AKS) collaborated on the development and delivery of two short courses for parents. This training course was part-financed under the Structural Funds Programme for Malta (2004-2006)/European Social Fund. The first course/module took place in November – December 2005, while the second course took place between January – February 2005.

COURSE 1 , entitled Course for Prospective School Councils Parent Representatives, was aimed at parents who are interested in running for school council elections.

COURSE 2 , entitled Course for Prospective Parent Leaders , was aimed at parents who would like to become more actively involved in their school and local community life.

Participants of Course 1 opted to continue with t he Course 2 module and thus complete the full Parent Leaders' course.

Aims of the Parent Leaders Training Courses

The aim of the Course for Prospective School Councils Parent Representatives is to encourage, prepare and empower parents to take part on the forthcoming School Councils elections in early 2005, leading to their potential engagement in other lifelong learning opportunities.

The aim of the Course for Prospective Parent Leaders is to encourage, prepare and empower parents to take a more active and dynamic role in their school and local community life, including in FES community-based initiatives, leading to their potential engagement in other lifelong learning opportunities.

Each module consisted of fifteen contact hours inclusive the observation and practicum. All the applicants were mothers. Twenty two parents started the course. Eleven of the applicants were mothers whose children are of the primary school age only, while the rest, have their children in both secondary and primary.

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Results of the Parent Leaders Training Course:

• Twenty two parents applied for the course. Thirteen completed the first module, while eleven successfully completed the second module.

• Participants became familiar with the nature and scope of parental participation in school curricular processes, school structures, and local community.

• Participants were prepared to contest School Council elections and represent parental concerns through the School Council structure. As a result, out of thirteen participants, eight contested the school council elections in February 2005, and five were elected as parent-members on the school council.

• Those who completed both modules became familiar with the range of FES parent-empowerment oriented initiatives.

• All the participants presented an educational project proposal as part of their assessment, and some managed to implement their proposal in their community. For example the two parent participants from Senglea are collaborating with their local primary school, Kana Movement and FES in organising a Mother & Baby Club for parents and their children who are under three years of age. Such a project will help both parents and child become familiar with the school structure thus helping them to acquire the right attitudes for school readiness. Another parent is organising a parents' room in the school of her community in order for parents to meet and find a range of educational resources which they can then use at home.

Parents' voices

“I personally felt that this was an extremely informative course
which should be given more publicity in the schools, in order to
attract more parents to participate”.
Parent participant of Module 1

“I got to know about certain aids that are available to help us as
parents help our children at school. I got to know what other school
councils do and what they should be doing”.
Parent participant of Module 1

“ Meta nhares lejn il-kors u nistaqsi jien x'hadt minnu, insib li permezz
ta' dan il-kors tghallimt hafna mhux biss fuq il-ligi tal-kunsilli skolastici
imma wkoll fuq livell ta' komunikazzjoni u din ghenitni hafna anke
f'postijiet fejn jien kelli nersaq u nitkellem f'isem uliedi”.
Genitur li ppartecipat f'Module 1

“Wara dan il-kors, nispera li jekk nigu eletti fil-kunsilli ta' l-iskejjel
inkomplu nizviluppaw il-hiliet taghna b'mod effettiv, inkunu
assertivi u anke kreattivi sabiex ikollna skejjel ta' kwalita`”.
Genitur li ppartecipat f'Module 1

“I enjoyed most the brainstorming sessions, group work,
the practical examples and the practical exercise, that of
making a list of all available resources in my community.
This helped me to present a realistic project proposal”.
Genitur li ppartecipat f'Module 2

“L-aktar haga li tghallimt u li ser nibqa' naghmel hu li nizviluppa
l-hiliet tieghi, inkompli nkun kunfidenti fija nnifsi halli nkun mudell
u ta' ezempju ghal genituri ohrajn....nipprattika dak li
tghallimt matul il-kors”.
Genitur li ppartecipat f'Module 2

“The reflective journal we had to keep along the course
helped me to think better and see things in a better perspective”.
Genitur li ppartecipat f'Module 2

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