Best practices

Parents’ engagement in school

According to Lokhande et al. (2014: p. 15) Germany is one the pioneers in parents’ engagement, especially in the primary school (Grundschule). In all European countries, parents normally have the opportunity to meet with teachers and express their ideas and opinions in the school body once a year. However, in 49% of the German Grundschule (as well as in Lithuania and Slovenia) parents have this opportunity three times per school year. For example, about 93% of the parents of primary school pupils help or do committee work over two times per school year. Especially the all-day schools integrate them, frequently. Furthermore, in the Grundschule the number of parental help with homework and learning is high (96%), too. 

Migration-parents-network

One of the best practices in Germany is the large number of migrant-parents-networks on the national as well as the regional level. 

Counselling and support for migrant parents

In the whole country, especially in the bigger cities, there are counselling projects and/or organizations to give advice and support to parents with migration background. They organize workshops, consulting services, education classes, German language classes and meeting events for parents with a migration background. 

The table below lists some umbrella associations

The parent-network Elternnetzwerk NRW- Integration miteinander have a special project “parents-families-network” (Eltern-Familien-Netzwerk). It is a free training for people with migration background who live in Köln to learn how to organize and moderate a parent-talking group. After that they have the ability to lead a groups in which the immigrants can discuss about education, the school system and their problems.