Jacky Chow Yee Pang

HDPS2103

1.0 Introduction
Every child care centre needs to build up a positive relationship between teachers and parents. In order to build up this relationship, the supervisor of the child care centre, the teachers, the parents and community need to co-operate. This positive relationship is important to the child care centre and parents to exchange information about the childrens strengths, academic progress and physical development. The most important thing is to build up trust between the centre and the parents.

Most of the parents want to be involved in their children learning activities; through these activities, parents can understand their children learning progress in the child care centre better. Parents can build up closer relationship with the child care centre at the same time. From this relationship, the child care centre and parents can build up mutual trust. Mutual trust between parents and child care centre is very important, especially for young parents who just experience being separated from their infants for the first time. Parents will feel safe to place their children in the child care centre if they understand the environment, the teachers, caregivers and the activities of the child care centre.

Supervisor of the child care centre, teachers, parents and community each have an important role in making this partnership a success. Through this partnership, teachers can provide parents with relevant, accurate and up-to-date information that can be used in decision making.

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HDPS2103

2.0 What are Effective Co-operation /Partnership

Every child care centre will provide different activities to build up co-operation between teachers and family. Some child care centre will organise activities such as, Parents Day, Charity Sales, Sports Day, Convocation, Morning Coffee Talk, etc. All these activities need parents to take part in so that the child care centre and parents can build up mutual trust. Therefore, through this kind of program, caregivers, teachers can understand more about the childs family background. This stage of program will also let the child care centre build up understanding and trust with parents.

Effective co-operation/partnership between teachers and parents can benefit the child care centre, caregivers, teachers, parents and the community. Educating children does not only involve child care centre, teachers and parents. With effective co-operation, teachers and caregivers can understand and handle the learning process of the children better. Parents can also be understand their childrens achievement and development better. Effective partnership is very important for small or home-based child care centres; sometimes they need parents for voluntary work such as on charity day, parents day etc. On the other hand, parents can strengthen their relationship with their children from the activities organised by the child care centre or kindergarten.

Child care centre can create relationship with parents via face-to-face communication, written document, notification letter, call for meeting etc. In the 21st century, newsletter, bulletin, telephone e-mail or website can be used to communicate with parents.

Jacky Chow Yee Pang

HDPS2103

Activities organized by the childcare centre

Family Day
To strengthen family structure through family day and build up positive relationship between school, family and community.

Charity Sales
To raise fund for charity
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HDPS2103

Parent Day
To report childrens academic achievement to the parent.

Convocation
To improve childrens self-esteem

Jacky Chow Yee Pang

HDPS2103

3.0 Why is Effective Co-operation Needed

Quality child care services must be open, friendly and informative. These interactions involve mutual respect between parents and teachers. This effective co-operation not only influences the childrens life but it can also strengthen their family structure.

For a small home based child care centre, it is important to build up effective cooperation with the parents. The parents can be very helpful when the child care centre needs volunteers to organise some special events such as sports day, charity sales, open day etc. It can also prevent mental illness among children and decrease risk of children failing school.

Parental involvement is very important for childrens achievement and development. We can see the results of this effective co-operation through increase of the childrens academic achievement, school attendance, reduction of discipline problems and the increase of graduation rate.

4.0 Strategies to Achieve an Effective Co-operation

Every family has their own opinions towards education. The early childhood programme must be flexible according to the particular familys feedback and needs. Teachers and parents must understand each other to achieve satisfactory results. Both parents and teachers must be treat each other equally and understand each other.

Jacky Chow Yee Pang

HDPS2103

Teachers and parents must also be good in communication. The teachers and parents can understand each other better and reduce suspicion by discussing the differences among themselves. Honesty among teachers and parents will also reduce the conflict among themselves. Every decision can be achieved in a friendly and respectful environment. The reduction of conflict can build a better co-operation for both parties. To overcome the differences between teachers and parents, both parties need to accept the way they are.

5.0 Role of School, Family and Community

5.1 Role of Supervisor

The supervisor is the most important person in a child care centre. A supervisors role is is to introduce the centre to the parents. Pictures, books, paper, brochure must be always available and within reach. Parents and children must feel comfortable when being served by the supervisor.

Supervisor need to explain the curriculum, environment and the centres first aim to the parents on their first visit. Parents need to understand and match their children needs. Supervisor also needs to listen to the information about the children and inform the parents on how the centre handles the children and activities in the centre. With this information parents will feel safe to enrol their children.

Besides verbal information, supervisor also needs to prepared brochures, guide books, CD-Rom and other necessary information to the parents. Supervisor needs to inform and explain to the parents that the involvement of parents is crucial to strengthen the familys active role in the centre.

Jacky Chow Yee Pang

HDPS2103

Supervisor is the first person who makes contact with parents or the community. He/she needs to prepare information about teaching and learning philosophy to all new families; Organise programme orientation for children and their families; Prepare time table for school-home conference at least twice per term; To make parents feel welcome as volunteers in class.[1] We did not organise a lot of events because parents worry about the safety of the children, but we will organise a few events that involve parents such as Family Day, Charity Sales Day, and Parents Day said the supervisor Ms Khor.

Ms Khor also said that partnership between school and family is built from daily cooperation. If anything happens to the children, the class teacher must report to the parents by phone or by note so that parents can know about their childrens school life better.

5.2

Role of Teachers

Teachers play an important role in reporting childrens achievement, development and behaviour in school to the parents. Teachers should inform the parents when an accident happens or the children are sick during school hours at the pick-up time. All parents are concerned about their children and will want to know if anything happened to their children as soon as possible.

On parents day, teachers should give a verbal and printed report about the childrens behaviour or achievement to the parents.

Teachers must possess effective communication skills when dealing with parents. Therefore, teachers must help parents in handling their childrens problems; and build up a good relationship with parents at least by exchanging opinions to increase teaching skills.[2]

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HDPS2103

We will inform the parents right after school if anything happens to the children during school time said the teacher. Another teachers was said that Some parents are very busy, but we still communicate with them by giving notice in the student Notice Book. Sometime parents need to sign on the book or return the reply slip to the teacher.(Refer to appendix)

5.3

Role of Parents

Parents need to co-operate with teachers and always take part in the activities organised by the school. Through this partnership, parents may understand more about their children and this can strengthen their family relationship.

Family who are highly involved in children development can increase their nurturing skills and encourage children to be more active; families that support their children development can lead the children to perform better in their academy achievement; top students always come from the families who are highly involved in school activities; family involvement can influence school advancement system; with active involvement, teachers can ensure that childrens growth and development are maximised.[3]

I would like to know more about my children learning progress. Through parents day, the teacher will give a little more time than usual in the class. I will complain if there is something that I dont agree with the school. I will also ask questions about my childrens behaviour said one of the parents Ms Wong Lian Tze. She also added that she would prefer if the school did not organise too many events such as Fund raising, Family day etc. As a mother and parent of the school, she has to support the event organised by the school by donate some money or cook some food for her children to sell at the Charity Sales Day. (Refer to appendix)

Jacky Chow Yee Pang

HDPS2103

5.4

Role of Community

Community is plays an important role in building up the partnership between school, parents and community. A Caring community can provide important support towards successful early childhood education.[4] Comprehensive support by the community such as medical centre, safety in school and family, donation, high quality early education and organise community events to have the family and school to participate. Such as Marathon, Family day, singing competition, telematch inter community etc.

The community can always provide scholarship to the less fortunate or poor student providing breakfast or milk for students who come from poor families will help the children have better health.

6.0 A

Survey

in

Kuen

Cheng

Kindergarten
(Refer to appendix) Based on a survey I had made in Kuen Cheng Kindergarten, I had been told by the supervisor of the kindergarten Ms Khor Siew Tiang who was teaching in Kuen Ching Kindergarten for 30 years that the most successful event that has the greatest feedback or co-operation from the parents is Parents Day. Parents day which is held twice a year to report childrens development and achievement in school to the parents was the most supported event by the parents. Almost 100% of the parents will attend parents day. Through parents day teacher and parent will have time to discuss face-to-face about the childrens achievement, behaviour etc.

This is the only time to let parents to talk to the teachers; some parents would like to know more about their children besides academic achievement. Some of the parents will take this opportunity to suggest and complain to the teacher.
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Through this event, teachers and school can collect a lot of information and suggestions from the parents. After collecting all these suggestions, teachers will discuss the good suggestion in the teachers meeting. If the suggestions will benefits both parties, the school may apply new rules in the coming semester.

7.0 Conclusion
In early childhood education, co-operation between school, family and community are very important. This positive relationship is needed to help children in their development academically and emotionally.

The supervisor and teachers of the child-care centre or kindergarten, parents and community have their own role to play for developing a young child. Parents are encouraged to involve themselves in the schools activities; these activities may strengthen their family structure as well.

Based on the survey in Kuen Cheng Kindergarten, parents do not like to be forced to donate or to do things ordered by the school. Parents prefer to volunteer to do things for the school.

The mutual trust between school and family or teachers and family is important for both parties. Without this co-operation, teachers and parents will take a longer time to understand and develop these young children.

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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Kuen Cheng Kindergarten for allowing me to conduct a survey in the kindergarten for my assignment. I thanks to Ms Khor Siew Tiang for taking me into the kindergarten and sharing her knowledge and her time. I also thank the teachers and other staff for their co-operation in making my survey successful. Special thank to Ms Wong Lian Tze, a parent of the kindergarten whom I interview.

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References
[1] Malaysia. Open University Malaysia (2009). HDPS2103 Family and society Co-operation in Early Childhood Education. p.31. [2] Malaysia. Open University Malaysia (2009). HDPS2103 Family and society Co-operation in Early Childhood Education. p.25. [3] Malaysia. Open University Malaysia (2009). HDPS2103 Family and society Co-operation in Early Childhood Education. p.25. [4] Malaysia. Open University Malaysia (2009). HDPS2103 Family and society Co-operation in Early Childhood Education. p.59. Australian education Union. Early Childhood Education Policy 2007. (2007) [online] Available at: http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Policy/EarlyChild2007.pdf. [2 February 2010] Community Schools. Partnership for Excellence. n.d. [online] Available at: http://www.communityschools.org/partnerships.html. [2 February 2010] Early Childhood News. (2007) [online] Available at: http://earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=359. [2 February 2010] Famous Why.The partnership with the family.(2008) [online] Available at: http://articles.famouswhy.com/the _partnership_with_the_family. [2 February 2010] Global Guideline for Early Childhood education and Care in the 21 st Century. n.d. [online] Available at: http://www.acei.org/wguides.htm. [2 February 2010]

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Partnership with parents and communities.(2009) [online] Available at: http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/commrel/policy/blueprint2008/bp_2009ach_partnership s.pdf. [2 February 2010] Working Group on Integrated Early Childhood Development.(2002) [online] Available at: http://www.ecdgroup.com/pdfs/EritreaRecommendationsPolicyWorkshop/gtype.pdf.. [2 February 2010]

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Appendix
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) Does Kuen Cheng Kindergarten always organise events that involve parents? What kind of events is there that involve parents? What is the response from the parents? What partnership events does your kindergarten organise? How do your teachers communicate with the parents? How do you communicate with busy parents? What do you do if they do not reply? Which events organised by the kindergarten do you support? How you make your complaints? What is the most successful event that organised by the school?

10) Do you always agree with the school?

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HDPS2103

Attachment
A Survey in Kuen Cheng Kindergarten

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