Prevent - In Antwerp, Kaap to learn Dutch
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29 June 2015The Flemish community and the city of Antwerp organize courses Dutch for new citizens. But many people find barriers to participate in these courses: it ‘s a difficult combination with the children, the lessons are in the evening or in another city district. KAAP is a project for parents to learn Dutch in the school of their children. But knowing Dutch is not enough for parents to be a partner in the triangle school – child – parent. Therefore the KAAP-project also is about linking language training with parental involvement.
More than 180 nationalities live in Antwerp. The mother tongue for more than 50 % of the children in Antwerp schools is not Dutch. Many newcomers are obliged to learn Dutch but are put on a waiting list.
The network tries to:
• tackle the problem of low-educated parents to get involved in the school of their children
• organise Dutch classes or this group with content based on the school
Parents in (interaction) is an embedded language course on the communication between parents and schoolsinitiated the project. This needs-based project is developed by The Center for Language and Education (university of Leuven). It is introduced in 5 Flemish cities. The city of Antwerp and the KAAP partners transformed it in KAAP.
Who are the target groups?
A KAAP-course is organized in the school and during school time. The target group are parents with a migrant background with no or limited knowledge of Dutch with children in the school.
KAAP courses can be organized in elementary schools (2,5 – 12 years old children).
In 2012-2013 we organized two Kaap courses in the first grade of a secondary school.
How does it work?
Kaap is a network with seven partners:
- General education policy Antwerp Coordination
- Center for language & education Methodology
- Centre for adult education (CBE & CVO) Language teachers
- House of the Dutch language Screening of the parents
- Schools p
- Parents Being engaged to Kaap
The task-based and embedded approach has a double goal. First, the parents learn to communicate directly with the school community and about relevant things concerning the school career of their children in order to improve communication between parents and school in the long term.
Second, KAAP leads to (more) parental involvement by allowing the parents to get to know the school better.
Challenges along the way?
There are several challenges:
a) Finding qualified language teachers (Adult education)
b) Motivating parents to engage themselves during two sessions each week during one school year
c) Select schools, which are really motivated to invest time in this project
d) The day after: what happens with the KAAP-group when Kaap is finished?
e) Finding schools with space is nowadays also a challenge
f) People without legal status are not allowed in the language classes by a Flemish decree
How were they tackled?
a) Working together with adult education and try to convince them to engage more teachers
b) Time investment of educational welfare workers (Schoolbridge)
c) Make in advance engagement of the school very concrete (on paper)
d) Idem 3
e) Find classroom for parents in the very close neighbourhood of the school
Why do you consider it to be a “good practice?
KAAP offers an answer to problems of parents: learning about school and learning Dutch in a ‘safe’ environment. This project can be transferred to other municipalities.
A researcher of the university has positively evaluated KAAP.
In conclusion we can say that KAAP has impact on
• giving information, paying attention to the school agenda and helping the child at home;
• contacts with teachers, parent contact and written communication with the school.
Parents emphasize KAAP made the difference. But KAAP makes just a little difference on parental involvement on school level: participation in school activities and school policy.
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