Smit, F., Driessen, G., Sleegers, P., & Hoop, P. (2004). Expectations and wishes of ethnic minority parents regarding education and schooling. Paper 12th International Roundtable of Scholars on School, Family, and Community Partnerships (INET), San Diego, CA, USA, April 12, 2004.

1. Expectations and wishes of
ethnic minority parents regarding
education and schooling
Frederik Smit, Geert Driessen,
Peter Sleegers & Paul Hoop
ITS, University of Nijmegen
Research funded by the City of
Rotterdam

2. 12th INET Roundtable, San Diego 2004
Background
 Tendencies in the Netherlands:
• schools have a clear role transferring norms and values
to their students
• strengthen the notion of the school’s educational tasks
• parents and teachers are increasingly expected to have
meaningful and efficient interactions
• relations between parents and school are characterized
by cooperation and consultation
• white middle-class parents are seen as cooperating
partners
• education is becoming the task of school and family
combined

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The city of Rotterdam, the
Netherlands
 hosts some 170 different nationalities
 more than 60% of the primary school
students are ethnic minorities
 traditional groups, such as the Turks,
Moroccans and Surinamese
 new migrant groups: from countries like
Somalia, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq

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Policy of the city of Rotterdam
 the city seeks to set up a high quality
education system
 community-empowered schools
 schools’ pedagogical task is supported
by other activities in the community

5. 12th INET Roundtable, San Diego 2004
Goal of the research project
 better understanding of the relationship
between parents of ethnic minority
children and schools
 better understanding of the parents’
points of view on education (a survey
study was conducted)

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Question 1:
Is it important to preserve
typical cultural identity and
characteristics?
no
Question 2:
Is it important to maintain
relations with other groups
in the society?
yes
no
Integration Assimilation
Separation Marginalization
Four strategies for acculturation
yes

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norms and
values original
country
norms and
values the
Netherlands
• sex
• age
• years in the Netherlands
• civil status
• highest completed education
• knowledge of Dutch language
Shift in norms and values of parents of ethnic
minority with children in primairy education

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Collaboration between
families and school
Family School
Connecting - Communication - Coordination - Coaching

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Integrated planned
participation strategy
creating support
for
partnership relations
- inclusion minority parents
- conceptual map:
six types of Epstein
- planned activities
- strategy development
participation
structure
participation
skills
to be informed
integrated
planned
participation
strategy
support
participation
culture
willingness to
participate
to be prepared

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Sample & Design
 1000 parents
• nine ethnic minority categories (900), Dutch (100)
 traditional migrant groups: e.g., Turkey, Morocco,
Suriname
 new migrant groups: e.g., Pakistan, Somalia, Russia
 100 native Dutch parents included as a reference
category
 parents selected by the so-called snowball method
 interviews by bilingual interviewers

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Questionnaire
 parental participation
 communication schools – parents
 the importance of norms and values
 discrepancies between educational
goals at school and at home

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Research questions, results
and recommendations
neccessity puts in motion
vision points the way
success makes believe
structures provoke
capacities
systems
spirit gives strength
to create and to build partnerships with families of
ethnic minorities and communities
enable
confirm
QUESTIONS RESULTS RECOMMENDATIONS
school choice
communication
to be prepared
participation
support
eductional goals
to be informed
awareness /
inclusion
Integrated
planned
participation
strategy
Conceptual
map: six types
of Epstein

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Barriers: gaps to overcome
 family-based barriers:
• psychological, physical, lack of skills and
knowledge
 normative barriers:
• family-, school-, community-based
 school-based barriers:
• teacher as an autonomous professional,
psychological, communicative skills and respect

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Expectations and wishes ethnic
minority parents regarding schools
 two-way communication flows between
families and the school
 collaborative relationships about norms and
values
 to become more fully informed
 participate more equitably in the children’s
school experience
 more attention to discipline and structure
 good learning environment

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Different points of view regarding
the relations between parents and
schools
 welcoming school climate
 two-way communication
 professional preparation
 respect for parents as educators
 schools reach out to order involve all
families

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Successful policies that
support parents and schools
 how to involve parents
 how to organize more effective action
for partnership
 understanding of parents diversity
 awareness of own mind-map to share
information about parenting