2.2.1 How and why Parents choose the desired school?
Hargreaves & Fullan (1999) see that Parents choose the school in a way that it fits their lifestyle, financial statement, beliefs, values, because they are expecting to obtain a qualified final product therefore they choose carefully. Because they care they show responsibility for their choice. What schools should take care of is that parents can take out their children at any time if they aren’t satisfied and put them in another competitive school. This issue put a pressure on school to stay competitive and to focus on the parents and students’ needs.
Different factors influence parents’ choice. But the most important one is satisfaction and everything depends on this point. Determinants are:
- School safety: parents consider that the school should be the safest place for their children.
- Staff background and their commitment towards students and school. Parents consider that they pay to obtain a good service and to be satisfied.
- Parents and Students should feel comfortable in the learning environment (having new teaching strategies) and they are attaining their goals (succeeding in official exams, admitted in universities) plus the extra activities that they do in school as choosing the most talented team. Etc…
What was mentioned it’s just a sample of factors because it varies from one country to another because the culture plays an important role? In Lebanon the choice of parents differs also when choosing:- A religious private school: so their children have a strong religious background and disciplined students and parents usually need this.
- Non-religious private school: parents don’t care about religion just academic and activities what they are looking for.
- The school location is it near the parents’ home? Is it in a clean and urban area? Is the classroom size comfortable for children?
- A school with strong academic reputation
- Public or private one depends on the level of income of the families; however some poor families desire that their children get a good education even in public schools.
What makes a school to be competitive is what it is producing at the end; it means what is its output? Student with high success constitute the image and the future and the continuity of the organization.
School that has a good reputation attracts more students so it guaranties its future income to rise up and grow, because it works on the long run and it has a vision. Parents, considered customers of the school, choose what they know it is suitable for them and what responds to their needs.
2.2.2 Involvement of parents in school decision
After choosing school parents are involved in the organization decision. They are partners.
Parents have the right to give their opinion in academic issues and in managerial factors that affect their children. Schools should ask on purpose parents’ thoughts and opinions to have feedback in order to increase client’s satisfaction.
Parents as customers will be considered as shareholders and the share is their children that they are investing to gain benefit when they succeed. So school has to take into consideration any remark to stay competitive.
Parents have to attend meetings organized by school. We can’t consider school as the only responsible part of student success, because these students have home and community backgrounds (a culture) that influence their attitude and their return.
Parents’ committee plays a supporting role of bridge with parents and school management in responding of student’s needs, educational needs specially in technologies (campaign to buy interactive boards for example, ask for teachers training on it …) to be up to date with the school market, a second option is to help brilliant students to continue their education if they fail to pay scholar fees before their graduation.
School asks parents to attend meetings to show how to support children’s learning.
2.2.3 Relation between Parents and School
Gorard, Fitz and Taylor (2001) say that there is a positive impact when parents interfere in school which leads to student success. Student needs come first because parents’ perspective is to assure to their children basis of good education.
Parents are considered to be full partners in decision making with the school management. Taking into consideration the limit parents cannot exceed. School and parents are working for the best of the student that is their final output.
Responsibility and relationship means that parents and school should be informed for any emergency happening or any change in the field or needs given that reputation plays its role.
Parents exchange information and transfer it to decision makers, considering responsibility and relationship are the keys of a successful partnership.
Parents don’t only support school educational program, but they support staff and they suggest training issues to help teachers and staff to reach a certain goals.
2.2.4 School culture internal and external environment of parent’s choice
Trafford (2003) see that Internal cultures explains staff and management thoughts, share their ideas, parents interaction, society that surround the school as (parents financial statement, parents social statement, other competitive schools that surround the school)
Management in school influences its culture and its ambiance to teachers and students.
School is similar to any other successful reputed organization. The factors supporting this reputation are the people who are working inside the school, their values, their perceptions, their interactions, and their strategies to be involved in the day-to-day activity for the sake of the Quality management System.
School culture is not the same in all educational establishments that’s why the management should study the external environment that influence:
- Learning
- Students behaviors
- Student attractiveness
External factors are but not limited to development structure, competitive public and private schools in one region, new technologies adapted.
Schools are similar in architecture having almost the same classroom design but not similar in behavior, what distinguish a school from another is its culture, its creativity, its democracy, the good quality of education, transparency and accountability. A good school does not refer only to a good education program but to the quality output it has. Skilled teacher repute a good subject and a good education.
2.2.5 School and its resistance to change
Culture should be able to face any change. But lack of information can threat skills and competencies, but sometimes lack of reward to any work can influence negatively staff motivation and block their work this depends on school culture,
Management should be adapted to see change as a point of power and not as a threat. Even to solve their internal problems management should listen to staff needs and to evaluate its statement.
2.2.6 Private and Public schools Provision and control (Schools considered as NPO organization, investment, school ownership…)
In most countries parents usually prefer to choose private schools even if they face financial difficulties putting the priority objective that their children will obtain a good education. And because the high demand these schools exist.
Parents choose private schools instead of public knowing that public is for free, Parents seek for disciplined and safe environment plus the religious subjects. However students who go to these schools are from different religion (Chen 2007).
- Different studies have shown that level of teaching is higher in private schools.
- Commitment of teachers to their careers and the training done to keep themselves up to date.
- Private schools accept students due to certain criteria as academic level, discipline and other conditions because students are the source of reputation.
Private schools use their yearly margin to invest in technologies, to buy new materials, to update their strategies, technologies, new training etc..
In private schools parents are shareholders but in public schools that are governed by government and can’t afford new steps, parents are not shareholders. Public school is not allowed to do any improving step without the permission of the government and they can’t afford any activity from their cash because the government is responsible and it depends on its budget. The training and update of staff plays an important role in school reputation. Parents are funder and students are its continuity.
Public schools cost is covered by the government so every child receive the necessary education but not qualified education.
Some private schools lose their students or a Marge of students due to wrong management, false strategies, competitive advantage that the school is not aware of. So parents’ involvement is important because they play the role of free marketing tool based on their return and satisfied experience.
Nowadays the market is open clients are parents and schools try to keep their students and to maintain a number that they can’t go under it because the competitive advantage is high