Ways to make changes at your school

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Parents have a right to express and pursue their views about what their children are taught at school, particularly when their views are clearly in line with agreements about what should occur from groups representing much wider bodies of opinion - like governments, major parent associations and bodies of education professionals.

There are things you can do.

• Raise the issue
• Find out what's happening now
• Get agreement about possible changes with school personnel
• Check what's happening after six months

Raise the issue

Your school may have a forum for discussion of its curriculum, a curriculum committee or a sub-committee of the Council or Board. Parents may be represented or able to attend through invitation. This is the most obvious place for discussion to occur.

If such forums are not available, you may wish to raise the matter with the Principal or another member of the leadership team. An exploratory approach signaling you want to work with school personnel is likely to yield the best results.

Find out what's happening now

Your school may be one of the many which are well advanced in teaching studies of Asia and Australia; it may have begun work on the task with continued development possible; or this initiative may have passed it by without much response. You will need to know.

As a good guide, this checklist outlines some of the most important conditions required for incorporating studies of Asia and Australia in a school's program. This could be the basis for your investigation.

Get agreement with school personnel about possible changes

When you are doing this, it would be helpful if you had some clear ideas about what you are seeking. The checklist may help you with this. Bear in mind school personnel are busy people with a lot of diverse and sometimes competing responsibilities. Be prepared to negotiate possibilities. Think of, and offer, ways you and other parents might be able to help.

Develop and monitor a reporting process

If you maintain your interest over time, it is more likely that others will as well. Develop and maintain a reporting process. An action plan is a good basis for this. Be encouraging and enthusiastic about ideas and progress.

You might get some further ideas for action by reading through the Teacher and School Resource for implementing the National Statement for Engaging Young Australians with Asia in Australian Schools.