Building better partnerships between schools, parents and the community

The Minister for Education has today announced funding of $800,000 for a unique Family-School and Community Partnership Bureau will be delivered to help develop partnerships between parents, schools and the community.

The Minister was speaking at the National Parents Forum in Parliament House at the invitation of the Australian Council of State Schools Organisation (ACSSO) and the Australian Parents Council (APC).

As promised, the Rudd Government will provide $800,000 over four years to two key national parent bodies, the ACCSO and APC to conduct research and develop pilot programs to ensure schools are more welcoming to parents and the broader community.

The Rudd Government’s Education Revolution recognises that while formal education settings are an important part of a child’s education, parents play a key role in bridging the education experience a child receives at school and at home.

Research shows that schools that have high levels of parental and community involvement, achieve improved student learning, attendance and behaviour. Family involvement in schools is therefore central to high quality education and is part of the core business of schools.

This new Bureau will work with organisations across the country in developing and encouraging effective partnerships between schools, parents and the broader community to improve students’ learning experiences and outcomes.

The aim will be to reach the disengaged, the disempowered and those families that often are not drawn into their children’s learning.

The Rudd Government is working with schools and parents to ensure every Australian child gets access to a world class education.