Improving Parental Participation through Non-Formal Activities

This paper introduces the importance of non-formal activities as a support for parental participation. The study developed by HoltIS and funded by UNICEF Romania, in the parental education programme, emphasizes the perspectives of teachers and parents from several Education Zone Action schools with high dropout. Data collection through focus groups and in-depth interviews relate that extracurricular activities, Other type of school, and some volunteering actions of parents are the main procedures in schools which contribute in improving school - family collaboration. The schools that involve parents in non-formal activities succeed to have a better relationship with children's family, help to develop children's non-cognitive skills and teachers become more confident in their teaching ability. Finally, the financial resources, the excessive bureaucratization and the pressure of time, appear as barriers in organizing non-formal activities.