Tallinn’s Local Action Plan 2015–2019 on involving parents in the prevention of early school leaving “Parents in school” Tallinn 2015 Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3 Description of the current situation ............................................................................................ 4 Cooperation with parents in the Tallinn schools participating in the project.............................5 Objectives ................................................................................................................................. 10 Implementation Plan ................................................................................................................ 11 Risks and risk management ...................................................................................................... 17 Summary .................................................................................................................................. 18 2 Introduction The Local Action Plan was prepared in Tallinn as part of the URBACT II Programme project „Involving parents in the prevention of early school leaving“. The duration of the project is from January 2013 until April 2015. Besides Tallinn, also Antwerp, Stockholm, Gijon, The Hague, Munich, Usti nad Labem and Sofia participated in this project, the lead partner was the Nantes City in France. The project was necessary because there are children who belong to risk groups in all participating cities and early school leaving causes subsequent social and economic problems. The partners decided to share their best practice and develop new measures in order to ensure acquisition of basic education by each student who starts school. European education researchers and practicians are aware that the role of parents in the prevention of early school leaving is a very important, perhaps even main instrument for its decrease. Schools have to find solutions for several issues in the creation and strengthening of cooperation with parents: how to make the partnership with parents more sustainable, how to 3 involve parents in educational activities in schools, how to plan outdoor studies, incl. in enterprises, etc. by involving parents, how to involve other actors of the field of education who would involve parents in their turn, etc. It is important to review the possibilities of local governments for supporting schools and other stakeholders either by the coordination of these activities or financing of different activities, such as training, campaigns or events. The aim of the project was to share experience and skills of partner cities on the methods of reduction of early school leaving, identify the best practice and present recommendations. The following schools in Tallinn participated in the project „Involving parents in the prevention of early school leaving“: 1. Kalamaja Põhikool (Kalamaja Basic School) 2. Tallinna Kuristiku Gümnaasium (Kuristiku Gymnasium of Tallinn) 3. Tallinna Südalinna Kool (Tallinn Südalinna School) 4. Tallinna Mustamäe Humanitaargümnaasium (Tallinn Mustamäe School of Humanities) 5. Tallinna Kristiine Gümnaasium (Tallinn Kristiine Grammar School) (since autumn 2013; until then Merivälja Kool (Merivälja Basic School) participated). The Local Action Plan has been prepared in cooperation between these schools and Tallinn Education Department. Description of the current situation There are 61 municipal schools in Tallinn in the 2014/15 academic year, three of which are adult upper secondary schools. Students at the basic school age study at 58 schools. Prevention of early school leaving is among the priorities of the European Union. The Lisbon Strategy and the EU 2020 Strategy have set the goal of reducing early school leaving rates to below 10%. The average respective EU indicator in 2008 was 15%. Although early school leaving rates have decreased in Tallinn and are approaching the zero level, for instance, 27 students (0.067%) dropped out of basic school in the 2013/2014 academic year, the aim is to achieve that no student would drop out of a basic school. Missing single lessons continues to be a problem, also absence with the permission of parents. This reduces participation of students in school work and creates communication problems between students. Tallinn Education Department analysed absences without a reason in Tallinn in the 2013/2014 academic year on the basis of the information registered in the eSchool system. The average number of absences without a reason per student turned out to be 3 lessons in Years 1 to 3, 7,3 4 lessons in Years 4 to 6 and already 32,3 lessons in Years 7 to 9. The number of absences without a reason dramatically increases at the last stage of basic school. Absence from studies is only allowed with a good reason in Estonia. The school evaluates whether reasons for absence from studies can be deemed as justified. Justified reasons for absence from lessons are sickness of a student or provision of health care services to the student, also impassable way to school or other force majeure, including the weather conditions set out in the Minister of Social Affairs Regulation on the basis of clause 8 (2) 3) of the Public Health Act which make absence from studies justified; important family reasons; other reasons regarded as justified by the school. A school establishes the procedure for notification of one’s absence in the internal rules of the school and is obliged to keep records of absences from studies, draw up summaries at least once every quarter of academic year and notify the parent of the summary. All schools notify parents of their requirements, of results of the studies of the student, etc. and offer opportunities for cooperation to parents. The conventional forms of cooperation are school parents meetings and class parents meetings, development interviews, notifications in the form of letters, publications, students’ study journals and school web site, participation of parents in outings and other outdoor forms of studies for additional ensuring of the security of students. In addition, other forms of cooperation have been used in the recent years, such as participation in round tables organised on different topics, etc. As a case study of the activities organised with parents in the schools of Tallinn we will describe below the cooperation with parents conducted in the course of the project in the schools which participated in the project. Cooperation with parents in the Tallinn schools participating in the project In Tallinna Südalinna Kool the cooperation with parents starts already before children start school in the first year. The preschool teacher gets acquainted with the parents and informs them of the requirements of the school, etc. Every year an Open Day and Information Day are organised for the children coming to school and their parents. At the beginning of the school year and in spring the general meetings of parents are organised, followed by meetings of each class. Class meetings are also held more often, if necessary. We organise a brief lecture on topical subjects as a part of the general meeting held for parents in autumn. Besides, we organise a training for parents once a year to discuss issues related to education of children with problems. Annual events are held for parents, such as the Family Sports Day, Fathers’ Day, Christmas Party, Mothers' Day concert, Health Week, etc. 5 The school follows the principle that a parent should be able to communicate directly with teachers, with the support staff and members of the administration. Parents acquire information on the activities of the school from the school web site, eSchool, from the mailing lists of parents and of the class. Development interviews with children and parents are held once a year in all classes. Many parents assist in the organisation and conduction of events for both the class and the whole school. Parents have been involved in both the conduction of lessons of different subjects and organisation of support studies. Parents of the best students are invited to the reception of the headmaster of school every spring for their recognition. Besides, students and parents are assisted by a specialist of social pedagogy and a speech therapist, if necessary. The speech therapist tests all first year pupils during the first couple of weeks and starts corrective studies immediately to achieve a uniform level of the class. Parents are informed of the need of the child to get assistance, monitoring of the pupil is started (documented) and consultations are provided to the parent. Additional Estonian lessons and support from Estonian language teachers have been provided to new immigrants. Every class teacher and subject teacher is obliged to notice problems of each student and refer them to the next level (special educational needs coordinator). In more complicated cases the class teacher conducts an interview with the child and the parent, involving the support staff and the school administration, if necessary. At the proposal of the special educational needs coordinator (director of studies), round tables are organised with students who lag behind from studies and do not behave properly, and with their parents, to discuss the origin of the problems, find solutions, apply measures and reach agreements. The school offers assistance and support to parents in solving problems and finding solutions. It cooperates with the child