Parent involvement in education is associated with student success—but what involvement means, and how it happens, varies across cultures. Newcomer parents may want to support their children's education but not know how Canadian schools expect them to engage. Schools may interpret lack of visible involvement as lack of caring, when actually parents are caring in ways schools don't recognize. Bridging these differences enables partnership between families and schools.
Differing Expectations
Canadian schools often expect active parent involvement—attending events, volunteering, helping with homework, communicating with teachers. Parents are expected to be partners in education. This expectation assumes parents have time, knowledge, and comfort engaging with schools.
Other educational traditions expect parents to defer to schools. In these traditions, education is teachers' domain; parents showing up might signal distrust of professionals. Parents may believe that leaving education to educators is the respectful approach.
These differing expectations can produce misunderstanding. Schools may see uninvolved parents who don't care. Parents may see intrusive schools that don't respect their role. Neither interpretation may be accurate, but the gap affects relationships.
Barriers to Engagement
Language barriers limit communication. Parents who don't speak English or French struggle to communicate with teachers, understand notices, or participate in meetings. Schools that provide translation improve engagement; those that don't may exclude many families.
Work schedules often conflict with school events. Newcomers working multiple jobs or non-standard hours can't attend events scheduled during work time. Evening or weekend scheduling, virtual options, and flexible arrangements increase accessibility.
System unfamiliarity creates navigation challenges. Parents who don't understand how Canadian schools work may not know how to engage. What are parent-teacher conferences? What can parents ask for? What resources exist? System knowledge is prerequisite to engagement.
Feeling unwelcome deters some families. Schools where parents don't see themselves reflected—in staff, in materials, in welcome—may feel alienating. Parents who've experienced discrimination may be cautious about engagement.
Supporting Engagement
Outreach to families in their languages and communities increases engagement. Translation, cultural liaisons, and outreach through community organizations reach families that school-centered approaches miss.
Welcoming school environments signal that all families belong. Visual representation, multilingual signage, culturally competent staff, and explicit welcome communicate inclusion. First impressions affect families' willingness to engage.
Multiple engagement modes accommodate different families. Not all engagement looks like attending meetings. Home involvement in education, digital communication, community-based connections, and flexible scheduling all provide engagement paths.
Parent education about Canadian schools helps families understand expectations and opportunities. Orientations, parent workshops, and information sessions build knowledge that enables engagement.
Authentic Partnership
True partnership involves listening to families, not just talking at them. Schools that learn from families about their children, their hopes, and their concerns build different relationships than those that only communicate school expectations.
Family knowledge enriches education. Parents know their children in ways schools don't. Their cultural knowledge, home language abilities, and community connections are assets. Partnership that values family contributions produces better outcomes than hierarchy that only flows from school to home.
Questions for Consideration
What engagement do schools expect from parents? How do those expectations align with what newcomer families can or want to provide? What helps newcomer families engage with schools? How can schools learn from families rather than only teaching them?