The trend shaping education (OECD, 2016) that most resonated with me was Family Matters (pp. 19), with the following key points
- Families are becoming reconstituted with single-parent families on the rise
- Families are smaller or there is a conscious choice to not have children
- Divorce rates are rising, yet marriage rates are declining
- People are taking longer to get married
- Our population is ageing
- Household debt is rising
- Impact of parental stress
The previously dominant family type in New Zealand was the nuclear unit with a husband, wife, and children. There is now a diverse range of family types in NZ as shown by the New Zealand Families Today (July 2013, p. 3):
Families Commission (July 2013). http://thehub.superu.govt.nz/sites/default/files/New-Zealand-Families-Today.pdf
How does this impact our education system?
I have chosen this trend as it directly impacts the education system. Families are the initial role model when it comes to values, culture, and traditions which in turn shape behaviour. It is important that we are inclusive and responsive to the growing demands within the family unit - be it grandparents raising grandchildren (9543 grandparents in a parental role - 2013 Census), or joint custody arrangements where time is shared between both parents. As more pressure is placed on families to meet their household demands (housing, nutrition, health, etc) there is also growing stress and mental health needs that impact on the education system through the children who are attending school. Children will struggle to learn and achieve if support is not available. However, conflict and frustration can arise as the rights and responsibilities of parents and schools becomes increasingly blurred as schools feel they are being expected to take on more responsibilities and the curriculum becomes more crowded. For example, “The case for teaching kids how to drive”. Schools are being asked to provide more but without the funding that supports this.
What does this mean for teaching practice?
We as teachers need to understand the nature and function of our families in order to make changes to our practice. We have noted that our changing family structures demand more inclusivity and responsiveness and PLD has been organised in response. For example, Nathan Mikaere-Wallis. He discusses the importance of the family/environment and how we as teachers need to understand the impact of family dynamics so we are able to fully engage our children in learning and success. An extra effort needs to be made by schools in order to engage learners, family, and whānau so that positive trusting relationships are formed and partnerships built on with shared aspirations for children and learning. Through promoting acceptance of the many differing family structures we model tolerance and diversity so that all are included. Within our school, careful consideration is given to how we promote ‘Mother’s Day”, Father’s Day” etc so that children do not feel marginalised or excluded.
Consideration needs to be given to how best we can support families, especially those who are disadvantaged, without passing judgment or creating a feeling of intrusion - a tricky skill to master! However, by building positive, trusting relationships, open lines of communication can be initiated and grown and additional support discretely given. This, in particular, is an area that our school has continued to focus on as family structures and needs change within our community - parent/whanau engagement to support student learning and well-being, meeting the future needs of our society.
References:
Families Commission (July 2013). Retrieved from http://thehub.superu.govt.nz/sites/default/files/New-Zealand-Families-Today.pdf
OECD. (2016) Trends Shaping Education 2016. OECD Publishing, Paris. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/trends_edu-2016-en
Statistics New Zealand (04 November 2014). Retrieved from
http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2013-census/profile-and-summary-reports/qstats-families-households/grandparents.aspx
Hi Tracy,
ReplyDeleteI too believe that families are the backbone of wether a child will be successful in their schooling. Too often we see that a breakdown in family situations can cause children to regress and seemingly give up on school and at times life. I like that you have said that having an inclusive and caring environment is important. I think that even though we are sometimes not aware of the situations in our students lives the one constant needs to be that they have this safe and caring environment at school. The family make-up is constantly evolving and by reading this I have been able to remember that again. Thanks for letting me read your blog.