Pre-school Pre-school Education in the Education in the View of ParentsView of Parents

--The Dutch ExperienceThe Dutch Experience

Drs. Jet Weigand-TimmerDrs. Jet Weigand-Timmer

OverviewOverview

Why education? Why education? The The DutchDutch school school

systemsystem Does it work? Does it work? Improvement of Improvement of

parental parental participationparticipation

Why education?Why education?

Learning is a duty Learning is a duty during your whole during your whole life life

Learning leads to Learning leads to action and action and becoming “Tov” becoming “Tov”

Education is Education is needed for a child needed for a child as part of societyas part of society

Who is responsible?Who is responsible?

Improvement of the Improvement of the communitycommunity

Family loveFamily loveReasons for handing Reasons for handing

over:over:WorkWorkBetter care and Better care and

educationeducation

Early-childhood Early-childhood education in the education in the Netherlands 1Netherlands 1

Primary education: age 4-12, Primary education: age 4-12, compulsary from age 5, compulsary from age 5, flexible transition flexible transition

Professional day-careProfessional day-care Informal day-careInformal day-careToddlers play areaToddlers play area(Medical day-care)(Medical day-care)

Early-childhood Early-childhood education in the education in the Netherlands 2Netherlands 2

Does it work?Does it work?

Effects on Effects on emancipation emancipation and labour: and labour: champions in champions in part-time workpart-time work

Effects on Effects on education: education: disappointingdisappointing

How to improve parental How to improve parental participation 1participation 1

Difficulties:Difficulties:Teachers thinking Teachers thinking

in impossibilitiesin impossibilitiesTeachers lack skills Teachers lack skills Parents have no Parents have no

willingness, willingness, attitudes, attitudes, knowledge or skillsknowledge or skills

How to improve How to improve parental participation 2parental participation 2Tools:Tools:Develop a vision Develop a vision

on parentson parentsAsk what kind of Ask what kind of

school parents school parents wish to havewish to have

Establish core Establish core valuesvalues

5 phases to5 phases tosuccessfulsuccessful

school-orientationschool-orientation

Information Information StructureStructureRelationRelationParticipationParticipation InnovationInnovation

The most important The most important ingredient in the ingredient in the success of early success of early childhood education is childhood education is the improvement of the the improvement of the relationship between relationship between institutions and institutions and parentsparents

Thank youThank you

www.weigand.nlwww.weigand.nl