Interparents – September 2014

Interparents has barely paused for breath over the summer in its preparations for this Autumn’s programme.  Our efforts continue to be focused on three fundamental priorities: 

1. resourcing to match the demand for school places;
2. fitting the education of our children for the modern world
3. ensuring students transition out of (as well as into) the school system smoothly and successfully, on to the next stage of their academic career.

So what is our starting point this September? 

For the second year running, the academic year opens with no newly seconded British teachers as the UK continues its programme to rebalance its historical over-secondment of teachers.  Additionally, certain other Member States ‘in surplus’ are no longer making new secondments, notably Ireland and the Francophone community of Belgium.  Finally, this September marks the introduction of a number of changes to Secondary 1-3 studies, some of which further increase the demand for teaching in/of English. So given Interparents’ three priorities, where will we put our efforts? 

Areas of particular focus include management of the Baccalaureate Examination (as the 2014 exam session is reviewed), various aspects of Secondary Studies (including monitoring implementation of the S1-3 changes) and financing of the European Schools (as new sources of funding are sought in the wake of an insufficient agreement on cost-sharing — finally reached in June among Member States — aimed at redressing the worsening shortfall in teacher secondment). Key opportunities coming up this first half-term to pursue our priorities on behalf of parents across all 14 schools, include…

September:

– Meeting with the group from IOE commencing the much anticipated and hard-won External Evaluation of proposals for the reorganisation of Secondary Studies;

– Inputting into the review of the Bac exam 2014, involving teachers and inspectors as well as the Bac Exam Board and office of the Secretariat General of the European Schools;

– Participation in various Working Groups mandated by the Board of Governors including Secondary Studies, Assessment (a possible new marking scheme) and Careers Orientation

October:

Interparents two-day preparatory meeting for:

 – The two-day session of the Joint Teaching Committee of the European Schools;

–  Preparing for the new Commissioner taking over responsibility for European Schools.How the various issues highlighted above impact our school in Laeken remains to be seen over coming weeks. 

Responsibility for bringing Bru4-specific issues to Interparents is the Pedagogical Affairs Group of Laeken APEEE.  If you would like more information, feel you could bring some useful insights and/or wish to get involved, please contact pedagogie@bru4.eu

_{Report from Sarah CB, Laeken parent and President of Interparents – the official representative of the Parent Associations of all 14 European Schools in the governance of the school system}