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| There were four distinct phases
in establishing the Carta dei Servizi. |
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| Phase 1 |
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| In the school-year 1996/97, some
schools in the local area distributed to parents a brief outline of the
home-school agreement. The whole Carta dei Servizi was available
in the school. The key points of the Carta dei Servizi set out the
schools' intentions under four headings, each with issues to be considered. |
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What are the principles (aims)
of the school?
- A welcoming ethos in the first classes
and particular care for children with special needs
- Continually high standard of quality
- Promoting and encouraging regular attendance
- Freedom to choose the Catholic religion
- Involving parents in school
- Equal opportunities
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| How does the school carry
them out? |
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| Teacher |
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| Pupil at the centre of his/her
own education |
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| Family |
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How well is the school organised?
- Effective liaison and continuity between
schools
- School-books and equipment
- Homework
- Code of behaviour for teachers
- Pupils' well-being at school
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What kind of rules and values
does the school promote?
- Taking care of pupils
- Responsibility for children during school
hours
- Absences
- Regular assemblies
- Meetings with parents
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| At the end of that year, parents
were given a questionnaire which focused on how well the school had met
the home-school agreement set out in the Carta dei Servizi. There
was a generous space for comments. |
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| A large proportion of the comments
received concerned homework. Some parents thought that homework was not
appropriate for their children, or felt unable to help the child with the
tasks. As a result, the school set up a homework club with some voluntary
teachers or with educators from private associations. |
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| Phase 2 |
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| During the school year 1997/98,
every school in the local area voluntarily drew up a contract between parents
and staff which would help parents to become effective educational partners.
The aim was to clarify for parents what they could expect from the school
and also what the school expected from parents and pupils. |
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| Phase 3 |
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| Another questionnaire was issued
at the end of the school year 1997/98. The results showed that the contract
was an extremely useful procedure in helping links between parents and teachers.
The contract has now been improved, and has become more comprehensive in
setting out clearly the priorities for a successful education. |
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The key principles in this contract
cover:
- study skills;
- social skills;
- attainment targets and mental abilities;
and
- the global curriculum (comprising
compulsory subjects plus extra curricular activities, such as local
history, sports, theatre, arts, crafts, workshops etc).
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| Schools made every effort not
to sound authoritarian. They simply aimed to highlight the importance of
homework, regular attendance, good manners towards peers and adults and
correct behaviour in different social situations. |
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| Schools are continually aware
that success in the classroom can only be brought about if a child has high
levels of self-esteem. The contract therefore stresses motivation, determination
and perseverance. Teachers have to declare what they intend to do in order
to improve class atmosphere and help the children's positive development. |
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| Schools expect from parents the
same persistence in helping their children take responsibility for rules
and improving social skills. Parents are expected to help children organise
their time, provide the best possible conditions for doing homework and
arrange a sensible timetable for after-school activities. They are also
requested to set aside some time every day for listening to their children,
in order to stimulate thought, encourage action and increase self-confidence. |
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| The Council acknowledges that
there is no means of stopping parents from breaking the agreement, and that
the school staff may not be consistent. The contract is not a substitute
for meetings with parents. It is a procedure that involves parents and pupils
in the process of agreeing key principles which will be a regular
item for discussion in individual parents' meetings. That discussion may
well lead to future modifications of the contract itself. Some schools have
found the contracts to be very successful. However, whatever the outcome,
in all cases the actual process of setting up the contract has been viewed
as beneficial to the educational process. |
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| Phase 4 |
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The primary school at Mezzolombardo
issued a leaflet to all parents explaining the contract between home and
schools. The aims of the contract were to:
- ensure the best collaboration between
school and the family; and
- foster children's learning and the development
of attitudes and behaviour which are useful both now and in the future.
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| The respective roles of teachers
and parents were set out clearly as part of the home-school agreement. |
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Teachers will endeavour to:
- motivate children to learn
- make clear what pupils are going to do
- develop memory skills
- train children in co-operative or group
learning
- help children to become more responsible
by setting small tasks and guiding them to finish their work properly
- help children to be aware of their feelings
and emotions, in order to promote self-discipline
- teach children appropriate behaviour towards,
and respect for, each other and for the environment
- help children to listen and understand
the thoughts and feelings of others
- help children to develop their own opinion
- develop important study skills such as
listening and reading to give information, summarising, researching
etc.
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Parents are required to:
- participate in school life
- dedicate every day a little bit of time
to listening to their children
- help the children with homework, preparing
the schoolbag, pencil-case, etc.
- promote health and well-being by having
regular meals, sleeping hours, etc.
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| The contract was then discussed
in individual parent meetings and used as the focus for class assemblies. |
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Other schools also provide information
for parents on specific topics, including:
- a contract for holiday homework;
- advice from parents to other parents;
and
- leaflets such as At school with them
and How to help children complete their homework.
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| Formulating a contract |
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| The contract for a home-school
agreement is generally formulated at three levels: the school, the classroom
and the individual pupil. |
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| School level |
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| The School Board (consisting
of 6-8 parents, an equal number of teachers, administrative assistants and
the headmaster) decides the educational framework which will form the aims
of the school. This is an important step in the home-school agreement because
all the partners in the educational process have the opportunity to reflect
and decide on the skills and abilities which should be the priority of the
local community. Topics discussed include: |
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- the syllabus
- attainment targets
- assessment and reporting;
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- local social, cultural and economic features
- foreign languages
- local history
- o-operation with local associations
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- respect for others
- respect for the environment
- tolerance
- sense of responsibility; and
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- key skills to support the learning process
- motivation
- self-esteem
- good study habits
- problem-solving and enquiry skills.
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| Classroom level |
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| Knowing and understanding the
pupils is one of the major issues stressed in the contract. Parents are
required to introduce their own child at an interview with the teachers.
They also fill in a document which sets out what they expect from school
and from teachers. |
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| Teachers make their own evaluation
of the pupil's prior learning, progress and behaviour so that they can formulate
a plan to improve the attainment of each pupil in the class. Every class
then draws up its own contract, which takes into account the School Board's
intentions and the children's needs. |
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| Pupil Level |
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| The pupils also agree with the
teacher code of practice for their work in the classroom. For example the
pupil will endeavour to: |
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- respect other people
- use the proper names of others
- accept others' opinions
- avoid bullying
- work and play with all pupils
- listen to teachers and others in the class;
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- being punctual
- being tidy
- wearing appropriate clothes
- not disturbing the lesson
- keeping your own desk clean
- respecting personal and school material
- keeping your school-bag in order
- bringing all necessary materials to school;
and
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- develop good study skills, such as
- completing homework promptly
- finishing all work completely
- taking notes to help remember
- learning to use reference books
- being able to summarise and recall the
content of lessons.
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| Conclusion |
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| The agreed contract sets out
the educational framework which provides the basis for jointly evaluating
children's progress at parental meetings. This evaluation is outlined in
the Italian case study on Parental involvement in evaluating schools. |
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