ESK PA / Interparents Report March 30th 2011

Interparents holds 4 meetings a year and all European School PAs send one or two representatives to the meetings. The meetings are very important because they are an opportunity for PAs to discuss issues and situations that are unique to the European school system. Although the schools are all different in character, the IP representatives can compare notes, and get support and advice from other PAs who have similar challenges in their schools. Interparents website: www.interparents.eu

The recent meetings have all had a similar theme - how to address the severe cost cutting measures that the European Commission in Brussels is forcing schools to implement. In addition many European member states are also cutting back on expenditure.
This affects Karlsruhe directly through:

• less money to cover the running costs of the school
• fewer seconded teachers (which are paid for by the member states)

The impact on Karlsruhe has been:

• many subject options have been restricted or teaching periods have been reduced
• replacement mother-tongue, subject teachers are harder to find
• cut backs in areas such as Learning Support, SEN and rattrapage (extra support for a pupil who is in danger of failing a subject)

Other European Schools have the same problems, some have even more serious problems.
European Schools are roughly divided into 2 groups - the large schools (8 of them) based in Brussels, Luxembourg, Frankfurt and Munich and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) schools (5 of them) in Karlsruhe, Varese, Mol, Bergen, Culham. These schools are much smaller with less than 1000 students per school compared with over 4000 per school in some of the Brussels schools.

Action that has been taken so far by schools, teachers and parents:

• Some schools have started an on-line petition against the cuts being imposed.
• the JRC schools have joined forces and are working together in opposing the cuts being forced on them and in presenting opportunities for the future.
• Staff representative groups are organising demonstrations against the budget cuts outside the Office of the Secretary General in Brussels at the time of the Board of Governors’ Meeting on 12th April, when key decisions are made for the European Schools system.
• Interparents has written statements for all committee meetings, and have sent letters to various offices voicing concern about the short and long term consequences of the new budget restrictions and the legal basis of certain actions taken by the Commission. This has been done in consultation with a lawyer.
• The president and vice-president of Interparents have personally spoken to and intensely lobbied key personel in the European school system in the interest of all parents and continue to do so on a weekly basis.
• Interparents have repeatedly opposed the cuts in budget at key meetings such as the Joint Teaching Committee and the Budget Committee meetings in Brussels.

ESK Parents’ Association supports all of Interparents’ actions in Brussels at this difficult time.

ESK PA’s actions:

• Continue taking a pro-active role in all school meetings, such as the Administration Board meetings, Educational Council meetings, SAC meetings, management meetings. Reports are on the PA website.
• Continue looking for ways to raise money so that extra-curricula activities and student projects can be encouraged through funding, sponsorship and support. All suggestions and contributions from parents, students, and the rest of the school community are welcome in the aim of promoting a healthy school environment.
• Ensure that parents’ and pupils’ interests are taken into account in all school decisions.
• Ensure that high educational standards are maintained at all times.

Sarah Winthrop
ESK PA / Interparents Representative