Australian Parents Council eNewsletter

CEO Commentary

Welcome to the 2023 school year!

Now that the holiday break is over and parents feel like they can catch their breath it is time to start talking about the things that matter to you.

APC is already hearing parents are concerned about inflation and the rising costs of living. Families are watching cautiously to see how this impacts school fees. We are here to listen to your concerns, let us know how this is impacting you and your family.

If school fees increase more than expected, What effect would it have on your family?

It would impact the family budget, we would have to cut back on non-essential items

It would put a strain on the family budget and we would have to make significant sacrifices to keep our child/ren in the school of our choice

We would have to move our child/ren to a different school

None

Elsewhere we are off to a flying start in a school year that sees NAPLAN held earlier than usual. If you have a child in years 3,5,7 or 9 sitting the test in March there is no need to worry! Your child's teacher is already well on their way to ensuring your child is prepared. NAPLAN is not the kind of test they need to study for or one that you need to help them prepare. If your child has additional needs it is worthwhile chatting to their classroom teacher about testing adjustments that can be made.

And if you would like to know more, this factsheet has lots of information to help.

https://nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/naplan-information-brochure-for-parents-and-carers.pdf

Finally, in last year's survey, many of you told us that you were missing the social aspects of being a part of a school community. 61% of respondents socialised with other parents before restrictions with only 9% of respondents saying they still did that when restrictions ended. Many comments said that they were looking forward to being able to connect in the future but finding opportunities and volunteers had become difficult.

20% of respondents told us that their parent body folded during restrictions. The loss of parent representation is concerning for the ongoing empowerment of parents in the educational outcomes of their children. To help you re-engage your school community or perhaps to give you some food for thought about why you should join your school parent body we have put together 10 Reasons to Volunteer at school.

We hope some of the reasons connect with you! If you would like to connect with us, you can follow us on our social media and we always welcome your emails.

Take care,

Jenni

APC CEO