Parents’ evenings and parental participation

In short: Parents’ evenings provide information on school topics and space for exchange between parents and teachers. Parental participation also includes elected bodies involved in school decisions.

In more detail: Participation rights are structured differently in the school laws of the federal states.

In detail

• Class parents’ evening: Informs about organisational and pedagogical topics of the respective class.
• Parent representation: Elected parent representatives bring forward concerns of the parent body.
• School conference: The highest participation body, in which parents, teachers and often pupils are represented.
• Topics: From trips to teaching methods to larger school development questions.
• Engagement: Helping at school festivals or projects strengthens the school community.
• Communication: Parents’ evenings supplement but do not replace individual conversations about one’s own child (klassensprecher-und-schuelervertretung).
• Attendance: Even those who rarely have time benefit from occasional attendance for important information.