InterParents (IP) unites the 13 Parents’ Associations (PA) of the European Schools. IP representatives give parents a voice in plenary sessions of the meetings of the Joint Teaching (JTC) and the Budgetary Committee (BC) meetings, as well as the Board of Governors’ (BoG) meetings. 

The IP representatives from the different PAs meet formally a number of times per year in different European Schools, to discuss various issues and prepare for upcoming JTC, BC and BoG meetings. Each PA sends their own representative/s to these meetings. Many issues of interest and importance to parents are debated and a great deal of lobbying with various stakeholder groups is carried out, and then addressed formally within the governing structures of our Schools by IP.

The Annual General Meeting of InterParents and the pre-JTC meeting took place on 6 and 7 February and was hosted by the European School of Brussels I, Uccle site. The purpose of the gathering was to discuss and agree on formal interventions given on behalf of all parents at the Joint Teaching Committee meeting later the same week.

From Alicante, Reet Escribano, Tina Filzek and Kristina Cunningham were present. Kristina was subsequently one of the InterParents delegates to the JTC meeting on 8 and 9 February. Reet Escribano, who since February 2021 has been the co-secretary of InterParents, was elected as Vice President at the Annual General Meeting. The new President of InterParents, elected for a period of two years, is Helen Valentine from ES Luxemburg I.

The main topics at the meetings during the spring meetings cycle are: Arrangements of the 2023 European Baccalaureate session; CAAP; Integration of Accredited European Schools (AES) into European Schools’ system; Teaching standards in the European Schools; Pedagogical Reform; Early identification of children’s needs; Educational Support and Inclusive Education; Harmonisation of the Pedagogical Planning; Evaluation of teachers; Teachers’ continuous professional development; Revision of Internal Structures of the European Schools; Quality assurance. 

InterParents continues internally following up two other important topics for all parents: the amendments of the General Rules and the organisation of school trips with the centralized service provider Denatravel. InterParents will also continue its collaboration with the European Parliament’s Culture and Education (CULT) committee on their study on European Schools. Please find here InterParents response to CULT committee report  and annexes.

Next meeting dates are: InterParents pre-BC virtual meeting on 5 March 2023; BC meeting on 8 and 9 March in Brussels; InterParents pre-BoG meeting 30 and 31 March in Luxembourg hosted by EEL 2 (Mamer); BoG meeting on 12 – 14 April in Dublin (under Irish presidency).