Opinion Articles

SOUL MATTERS: P is for Parent, C is for comfortable students
By Linda McNeil
Linda McNeil is the Parent Liaison and Resources Officer, Catholic Schools Office, Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

How are you involved in your child’s education?  Do you work in the canteen, attend P&C or P&F meetings, help out with reading in the classroom or at sports carnivals?  Do you know that there is a huge body of research that points to higher achievement and greater enjoyment of school life for students when their parents are actively involved in their schools? 

“There is a positive and convincing relationship between family involvement and improved results in academic achievement and also in relation to health and well-being.”  This finding by Karen Mapp (US researcher) has been repeated in study after study across the UK, Australia, and Canada. One Canadian study went even further, stating that “benefits are demonstrated consistently across families irrespective of their economic circumstances or their ethnic or educational backgrounds and it is not only in primary that students benefit but effects are also evident in high school – where family involvement is in fact more important than at any other time in their lives.”

The Federation of Parents & Friends Associations marked 25 years of parent involvement in Catholic schools in the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese last weekend at the 8th Council of Catholic School Parents (CCSP) Conference hosted by the Federation of P&F Associations, Maitland-Newcastle.   Perhaps it was the beautiful location at Shoal Bay and glorious weather that made the weekend so special, or maybe it was the feeling of jubilation that 25 years of commitment and dedication by parents has led to a genuine and fruitful partnership between parents, schools and parishes in this diocese. 

Keynote speakers Michael Grose (educator of parents and teachers) and Pat McDermott (long-time Women’s Weekly columnist) both affirmed parents in the work that they do and promoted a commonsense approach to parenting today.  Other workshops addressed topics such as bullying, positive behaviour development, spirituality, reporting, learning strategies and how to survive school years. 

The highlight of the weekend was the birthday party itself, where Life Members were recognised for their contribution to building and sustaining a viable parent organisation in this diocese as well as being instrumental in the formation of the CCSP, the peak parent organisation in NSW and ACT representing over 440,000 parents. 

The road to genuine parent involvement has not been paved with gold but with the tireless commitment of parents to gain recognition of their role in their child’s education and their ability to work with schools to achieve better outcomes for all children in all schools.   Over the years, parents, through the Federation of P&F Associations and the CCSP, have been instrumental in lobbying for issues such as greater recognition of children with special needs, safety on school buses, flashing lights at crossings, capital funding for schools and curriculum matters, to name a few.

So when you are tired of attending meetings or turning up for tuckshop, remember that what you do is integral not only to your own child’s enjoyment of their school years but that you are also contributing to a better society for all children in all schools in Australia.