Parent engagement is at the core of the Durham Catholic Parent Involvement Committee.
Every parent and/or guardian has a voice in their child(ren)'s education. This right is ingrained in the Education Act, R. S. O. 1990 c. E.2 ("the Act").
The vehicle used by the Ministry of Education to ensure parents/guardians have an ongoing and regular opportunity to be involved at the school level is through the School Council, as well as the Regional Parent Involvement Committee.
Ontario Regulation 612/00 of the Act states:
2. (1) The purpose of school council is, through the active participation of
parents, to improve pupil achievement and to enhance the
accountability of the education system to parents.
(2) A school council's primary means of achieving its purpose is by making
recommendations in accordance with the regulation to the principal of
the school and the board that established the council.
The flow of information from the Ministry of Education and the Regional School Board, to improve your child's education is communicated to the principal. Your principal, in turn, communicates these updates and new policies in education to you, the parent/guardian, through the school council.
Parent engagement and involvement can take many forms and has been proven time again to benefit the child, both intellectually and in general wellbeing.
The Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE) have several resources available, including a guidebook for parents and schools to help in planning for parent engagement and to teach parents and guardians the best way to become involved in their child(ren)'s education.
