20
Case Studies
The following case studies are provided for your reference
CASE A
Early Learning Centre and Parent and Community Centre
The Early Learning Centre and the Parent and Community Centre are separate but
related initiatives.
The Early Learning Centre prepares children aged from birth to four years for
school, and at the same time educates their parents in how to assist with the child's
development.
The Parent and Community Centre is a social support centre for parents and is open
to anyone in the community. The Centre consists of a converted classroom, which the
school has furnished in a homely manner with settees, easy chairs, dining table, and
computer. A weekly meeting is held in the Centre, with free child care provided in an
adjoining room. A small one-way window allows the parents to look in on their pre-
schoolers while they are being cared for.
Background
This primary school of 280 students is located in a low socio-economic area where
unemployment is high and family dysfunction common. About half the students are
on the local equivalent of the Education Maintenance Allowance and there is a high
percentage of single parents.
Six years ago, two senior teachers initiated the two elements of the project. At the
time the school was looking for ways of arresting a long-term decline in enrolments
and of staving off the possibility of being merged with another school or closed. The
current Principal was new and almost one-third of the teaching staff had just been
replaced. The school had become estranged from its community and a cultural change
was under way to re-connect the school and community. The Early Learning Centre
and Parent and Community Centre was welcomed by the Principal as a means to
achieve the desired cultural change.
An experienced kindergarten teacher was enlisted to assist in setting up the Early
Learning Centre. In addition, a parent who is highly active in school-related activities at
a state and national level happened to work as a teacher's assistant at the school. She
harnessed her energy to the cause and this clearly helped in maintaining momentum.
Engaging Parents
The teachers in the pre-Kinder program and in the early years of primary were
sensitive to what parents were saying about wanting to bring their toddlers into the
school, and creative in setting up a special program for them. They were also sensitive
to what parents said about their social isolation, and proposed setting aside a room
that could be used by parents as an informal meeting place.
The teachers obtained the support of the Principal, and at first provided leadership
to the parents in setting up the community room. Gradually they relinquished this
leadership role to the parents as the capacity to lead grew in some of the parents.
Summary :
20 Case Studies The following case studies are provided for your reference CASE A Early Learning Centre and Parent and Community Centre The Early Learning Centre and the Parent and Community Centre are separate but related initiatives. The Parent and Community Centre is a social support centre for parents and is open to anyone in the community. Engaging Parents The teachers in the pre-Kinder program and in the early years of primary were sensitive to what parents were saying about wanting to bring their toddlers into the school, and creative in setting up a special program for them.
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school,community,early,learning,parent,teachers,setting,years,case,room,proided,principal,studies