Frederik Smit & Geert Driessen (2005) AA Ethnic minority parents' and teachers' orientation.pdf

Correspondencia: Frederik Smit. ITS - Institute for Applied Social Sciences. Radboud University Nijmegen.
P.O. Box 9048. 6500 KJ Nijmegen. The Nederlands. E-mail: f.smit@its.ru.nl
Aula Abierta, 86 (2005) 169-184
Ethnic minority parents’ and teachers’ orientation
on collaboration between home and school:
strategies and contexts
Frederik Smit y Geert Driessen
Radboud University Nijmegen
Resumen
Tras los atentados islamistas del 11-S y del asesinato del director de cine holandés Theo van
Gogh, hay una tendencia creciente entre los políticos y profesores holandeses a preocuparse por
la responsabilidad de los padres acerca del modo en que sus hijos se comportan en una socie-
dad multicultural. En Holanda, la educación moral y el fomento de la cohesión social son prio-
ritarios en la agenda política. En los últimos años, las tensiones sociales entre grupos étnicos han
cambiado el clima social en este país con una tradición previa abierta y tolerante. Dos estudios
en Educación Primaria y Secundaria, se llevaron a cabo sobre las expectativas de los padres y
las relaciones de los profesores ante las circunstancias interculturales. Ambos estudios se reali-
zaron en la ciudad de Rótterdam donde existe una gran diversidad étnica. Las conclusiones más
importantes fueron que los padres de las minorías étnicas quieren tener mucha más implicación
en la educación de sus hijos y que entre los profesores hay demasiadas diferencias en cuanto a
conocimientos y conciencia de la interculturalidad. Para resolver estos problemas debería inter-
venirse específicamente en la mejora de los déficits comunicativos en las escuelas.
Abstract
After ‘9/11’ and the Islamic-inspired murder of Dutch film director Theo van Gogh, there
is a growing tendency among Dutch politicians and teachers to draw attention to parents’
responsibility for the way their children function in a multicultural society. In the Netherlands
fostering social cohesion and moral education are high on the political agenda. In the last few
years, social tensions between ethnic groups have changed the atmosphere in this formerly
open and tolerant country. Two studies, both in primary and secondary education, were con-
ducted, concerning parents’ expectations and teachers’ reactions to intercultural circum-
stances. Both studies were carried out in the ethnic diverse city of Rotterdam. Important con-
clusions are that ethnic minority parents want to be much more involved in education and that
teachers vary too much in their intercultural consciousness and knowledge. To solve problems
especially the communication deficits in schools should be addressed.

Introduction
Changing roles of parents and teachers
As in other Western countries, the Netherlands has seen a tendency
towards giving schools a clearly defined role in the transfer of moral stan-
dards and values and to strengthen the notion of the school’s educational task
(Smit & Driessen, 2005). Parents and teachers are increasingly expected to
have meaningful interactions to make a combined effort in defining educa-
tion and child rearing (Epstein, 1987; Epstein & Sanders 2000; Klaassen &
Smit, 2001). More and more, the relation between parents and school is char-
acterized by cooperation and consultation (Ravn, 2003; Smit, Van Esch &
Walberg, 1993). Parents are seen as partners with whom one should cooper-
ate (Martínez-Gonzáles, 2001; Sanders & Epstein, 1998; Smit, Moerel, Van
der Wolf & Sleegers, 1999; Smit & Van Esch, 1996). Several educational
goals (e.g., increasing children’s political awareness, cultural awareness,
health awareness, environmental awareness) have become the tasks of
school and family combined. Also, there is a greater tendency among teach-
ers to draw parents’ attention to their responsibility for their children’s learn-
ing performances. Parental involvement is seen by politicians as an impor-
tant means to combat educational disadvantage (Driessen, Smit & Sleegers,
2005; Smit & Van Esch, 1993). And parents try to exert more influence on
schools and school boards. Since parents play an active role in defining a
school’s policy, both the educational authorities and the school management
are held accountable, and they are being forced to make their policies more
accessible (Davies, 2003; Smit, Van der Wolf & Sleegers, 2001).
Discrepancies between policy and practice
The foregoing can be seen as the ideal situation, the situation policies
are striving for. However, in practice parenting and school education are
often two separate activities. Parents usually do not make many efforts to
keep in touch with school as far as their children’s upbringing at home and
at school is concerned. Parents rarely contribute actively to the exchange of
information on the well-being and development of their children at school.
The upbringing at school is not really integrated with the upbringing at home
(Smit, Moerel & Sleegers, 1999). The exchange of knowledge and experi-
ences at parents’ evenings and in contacts with teachers does not have any
connection with parents’ pedagogical behavior. In the Netherlands, especial-
Smit y Driessen / Aula Abierta, 86 (2005) 169-184
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ETHNIC MINORITY PARENTS’ AND TEACHERS’ ORIENTATION
ly the position of low-SES and ethnic minority parents is of great concern.
Traditional, ethnic minority parents say many teachers are much too infor-
mal in the way they treat their children; they want greater social distance
between children and adults, more respect and discipline. Modern, native
Dutch parents stress the importance of their children’s autonomy and self-
development (Driessen, 2003; Pels & De Haan, 2003). The situation regard-
ing minority parents in the Netherlands is highly complicated1
. A large per-
centage of these parents, especially those of Turkish or Moroccan origin (the
so-called ‘guestworkers’), have had little or no education and do not speak
Dutch. This means that they have no insight in the Dutch education system
and are hardly able to communicate with their children’s teachers. At the
same time they complain that they have problems talking with their children,
because the children increasingly only have a rudimentary understanding of
their ‘mother tongue’, that is, the language of the country their parents were
born in. As a consequence of these factors minority parents often do not
know what is being taught at school. In addition, some of them, as part of
their culture, feel that the educational sphere is not their responsibility, but
solely that of the school. This does not mean, however, that they think edu-
cation is not important. On the contrary, in general minority parents foster
higher ambitions than native Dutch parents do (Smit, Driessen, Sleegers, &
Hoop, 2003).
Perspectives of parents and of schools
In this paper we will summarize the results of two studies which pay
attention to the controversies and integration problems which have to be coun-
tered in the field of education. If schools want to make a positive effort to rec-
ognize the differences in cultural backgrounds and validate the culture of the
home in order to build better collaborative relations with parents, they also
have to pay attention to ethnic and social issues such as discrimination and
racism, alcohol and drugs, criminality and violence in local communities.
Paramount is, of course, that schools have knowledge of and react adequately
to cultural, linguistic and religious differences between the school and the
home situation (Driessen, 2001; Smit, Driessen, Sleegers & Teelken, 2007).
One study pertained to the situation in primary schools and was aimed
at getting a better understanding of the expectations of ethnic minority par-
ents expect with regard to education. This study was carried out on behalf of
the city of Rotterdam. Insight into these expectations was deemed to be
important because parents and teachers are increasingly expected to work
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together in the fields of child-rearing and education. Involving minority par-
ents in their children’s education is seen as an important means to combat
educational disadvantage. On the basis of the study’s results the city of Rot-
terdam hoped to be able to make strategic decisions with regard to the gear-
ing of the schools’ supply and provisions to the parents’ expectations.
The other study was directed at the opinions and attitudes of secondary
school teachers and principals as to how to cope with the growing cultural diver-
sity in their schools and how to interact with students from diverse cultural back-
grounds. The management of this school with a majority of ethnic minority stu-
dents showed a growing concern for the way in which their white Christian teach-
ers, especially the older ones, were coping with the diversity in their students’cul-
tural and religious opinions, attitudes and actions. The school asked us to investi-
gate the practices and problems of cultural diversity in their school and to make
suggestions for an intercultural and interreligious school policy. The question of
how to communicate –not only with the parents, but also with their own ethnic
minority students– provided the impetus (Smit, 2005).
These two study thus combine two perspectives, the perspective of par-
ents, and that of teachers and principals. Both studies were conducted in Rot-
terdam, a city that hosts some 170 different nationalities; more than 60% of the
primary and secondary school students are from ethnic minorities. A number
of the minority groups can be called traditional immigrant groups, such as the
Turks, Moroccans and Surinamese. However, recently, many new immigrant
groups have come to Rotterdam, e.g., refugees/asylum seekers from Eastern
Europe and countries such as Somalia, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. Both pri-
mary and secondary schools in Rotterdam try to take account of the changing
situation by paying special attention to, for example, school climate and par-
ent-school relations. Rotterdam seeks to set up a high quality education system
for both the native Dutch majority and all of the ethnic minority groups.
Method
Study 1: Parents’ expectations
In the first study in primary education, nine ethnic minority groups
were selected and native Dutch parents acted as a reference category. The
countries included Turkey, Morocco, Surinam, the Netherlands Antilles,
Cape Verde, Pakistan, Yugoslavia, Somalia, Russia, and the Netherlands.
For every group interviews were conducted with 100 parents of primary
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school students. Because many parents did not speak Dutch, bilingual
interviewers were employed. The number of 100 parents in each group
made it possible to carry out reliable analyses both between and within the
different groups. A total of 1000 parents were thus asked to answer ques-
tions on topics such as parental participation, school choice and religious
convictions, school-parents communication, the importance of moral stan-
dards and values, attunement of educational goals of family and school,
discrepancies in educational practices at school and at home. The ques-
tionnaire was developed on the basis of an extensive review of the relevant
literature. Analysis of the quantitative data from the interviews was effect-
ed by making use of frequency distributions, correlational analyses and
analyses of (co)variance.
Study 2: Opinions of teachers and principals
In the second study in secondary general education several group inter-
views were held with eleven teachers and school principals. In this qualita-
tive study we explored some further details of the attitudes and practices
regarding the religious and cultural diversity of the school population. Some
of these teachers and principals we interviewed had very explicit opinions
with regard to their pedagogical assignment and necessary school policies.
The respondents were asked to give their opinion as to whether schools and
teachers need to pay more attention to moral education and to moral stan-
dards and values in general. They were also asked to give information on the
nature and practices of the religious denomination or religious identity of
their school and to state their opinions, attitudes, practices and experiences
regarding the diversity of religious and cultural standards and values in their
school and in society at large. Moreover, attention was paid to their ideas on
the actual, desired and possible school policies in this field. An extensive
interview protocol was constructed. For the analysis of the group interviews,
audio recordings were made and transcribed. The answers to all of the ques-
tions were then categorized into the relevant rubric. Finally, with the aid of
statements from the discussions, the questions from the protocol were ana-
lyzed. For purposes of reliability, all of the transcribed texts were analyzed
by two researchers. In a number of research sessions, it was next attempted
to obtain agreement on the observed results. The starting point for analyzing
the questions was always the field of tension between the opinions and prac-
tices of the secondary school teachers and the differences of opinion between
the teachers and school leadership.
173

Results
Lack of communication
The study into parents’ expectations shows that the minority parents’
own upbringing, faith and traditional culture constitute their major frame of
reference for raising their children. Parents from countries strongly charac-
terized by traditionalism and collectivism place more emphasis on relation-
al standards and values, such as obedience, respect and helpfulness, in their
parenting than parents from more modern and more individualistically ori-
ented societies (cf. Pels & Nijsten, 2003).
The results of the study further show that nurturing children in the fam-
ily and educating children at school in fact are rather isolated processes. As
a consequence, there are some severe bottlenecks in the pedagogical attune-
ment of family and school. There is little exchange of opinions and experi-
ences between family and school. Tradition oriented parents from other
countries than the Netherlands are of the opinion that teachers treat their
children too much in an informal way; they prefer more distance between the
teacher and the children.
On all points, minority parents attach more value to learning to obey the
rules. Their major pedagogical goals are keeping to the straight and narrow
and honesty, followed by bearing responsibility and equality of the sexes. Of
the native Dutch, only a very small group attaches importance to their chil-
dren adhering to religious rules. Most Moroccan and Pakistani parents, how-
ever, attach great importance to their children adhering to such rules,
because they want to raise their children in their faith. Cape Verdean parents
are similar to Surinamese and Pakistani parents in that they set high ideals in
terms of their children’s educational careers and attach great importance to
their children doing well at school. Dutch parents attach the most importance
to their children learning to work together.
The findings above indicate that the most important bottleneck is not so
much the actual and experienced difference in values between the school and
parents from other countries. More important seems to be the problem of the
lack of communication between family and school regarding the emotionally
important issues of (traditional) values and child rearing practices. This was
also found in an earlier study of the pedagogical assignment of the school and
the relations between home and school conducted with native Dutch parents
(Klaassen & Leeferink, 1999). In the present study we have investigated fur-
ther the nature of lack of communication in respect to minority groups.
174

Because of the fact that these new findings can be seen as important not only
for expanding our scientific knowledge, but also for educational policy and
practice we will now concentrate on the specific findings about the relation-
ship of parents from minority groups and school. The first question was: ‘Do
parents feel that they have problems in their contacts with teachers and
school?’The answer to this question is presented in Table 1; the table gives the
mean percentages per country and the eta correlation coefficient, which gives
an indication of the differences between the various countries.
Table 1. Problems in the contact between parents and school (in %)
Countrya
TUR MAR SUR ANT CPV PAK YUG SOM RUS NLD Total eta
Problems occur:
- always 0 0 0 4 1 2 0 11 0 0 2 .24
- frequently 3 0 0 2 4 3 1 4 0 1 2 .12
- occasionally 17 14 13 19 9 9 8 15 18 14 13 .11
- seldom 14 5 9 6 3 6 14 6 22 8 9 .19
- never 66 78 77 68 74 78 70 55 49 72 69 .21
- do not know 0 2 1 0 7 2 7 5 11 5 4 .19
I have never had
contact with the
school 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 4 0 0 1 .14
a Countries: Turkey, Morocco, Surinam; Antilles, Cape Verde, Pakistan, Yugoslavia, Somalia, Russia, the Netherlands.
In the present research 240 or 26% of the parents say that there have been
problems in the communication between home and primary school. Somalian
parents report more frequently that they have always had problems. These 26%
of parents were asked as to the causes of the problems in contact with teachers
or the school. The spread of the reasons given by these parents is presented in
Table 2. This table gives the different countries of origin on the basis of the cat-
egories ‘always’, ‘frequently’ and ‘occasionally’ on a five point scale.
What are the causes of the problems in contact with teachers or the
school? Almost half of the parents reported that the problems were caused
by differences of opinion on child rearing between themselves and the
teacher. Slightly less frequently mentioned were that there was no extra
regard for their specific requirements, and their own language difficulties.
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The most important causes of the problems in contact with the teacher
or school for the Somalis are their own language difficulties, differences of
opinion on child-rearing, the language used by the teacher, initial hesitation
on their own part and the gender difference between parent and teacher.
Antillean parents in particular give as causes the lack of regard for their spe-
cific requirements, that teachers do not abide by agreements and the lan-
guage used by the teacher. Moroccans and Turks have far less command of
the Dutch language than Surinamers or Antilleans.
176
Table 2. Causes of problems in contact between parents and school
(% always + frequently + occasionally)
Country
TUR MAR SUR ANT CPV PAK YUG SOM RUS NLD Total eta
My own
initial anxiety 21 37 5 68 18 5 17 56 18 9 30 .47
Sex difference
between me and
the teacher 3 5 0 32 12 5 9 56 0 0 15 .54
Lack of interest
on the part of
the teacher 35 26 23 55 29 25 13 56 16 26 33 .33
Different opinions
on child-rearing 53 5 55 65 65 30 48 67 29 48 48 .37
Teachers do not
abide by agreements 26 0 9 74 29 20 22 58 11 39 30 .51
No attention paid
to my specific
requirements 47 5 27 77 29 30 39 64 29 57 42 .41
The language used
by the teacher 29 32 0 71 12 25 13 64 37 4 35 .47
My own language
problems 47 32 0 68 41 40 26 72 37 0 43 .42
I see no need for
/ have no interest
in contact 0 0 5 61 6 10 0 8 0 13 11 .64
N 34 19 22 31 17 20 23 36 38 23 240
a Countries: Turkey, Morocco, Surinam; Antilles, Cape Verde, Pakistan, Yugoslavia, Somalia, Russia, the Netherlands.

In this research, which concentrates on primary education, attention is
also given to how the problem should be addressed. At least two thirds of the
parents with problems agree that the problem can be tackled by providing
more information about the standards and values current at the school, pay-
ing more attention to disruptive or unacceptable behavior of students and
paying more attention to what parents have to say. More than half of these
parents suggested that greater influence of parents on the current standards
and values would be beneficial. An ample majority of the parents is dissat-
isfied about the say they have in matters concerning moral standards and val-
ues, their influence on educational ideas of the school, and the extent to
which teachers pay attention to religion. A small part of the parents also have
no idea as to what is going on in this field.
Both primary and secondary school studies show that there are large dif-
ferences between the various ethnic minority groups, but also that the larger
part of the parents are really interested in the education that their children
receive. They indicate that they are committed to this education and also
wish to participate in it. The problems arising from this, however, usually
involve the communication between parents and school. Compared with
native Dutch parents, minority parents worry more about the communication
process, particularly because it does not always run so smoothly. This goes
in particular for immigrants who do not have a good command of the Dutch
language (cf. Driessen, Van der Slik & De Bot, 2002). They have the impres-
sion that this communication is mainly going in one direction: schools pro-
vide information, but show little interest in the specific views, wishes and
expectations of minority parents. Particularly with regard to matters relating
to their faith, accents on cognitive or socio-emotional educational goals, and
differences in the pedagogical approaches at home and at school, which con-
stitute points of special attention. Parents complain there is hardly any com-
munication, neither unilaterally, nor bilaterally.
The pedagogical goals of minority families usually differ strongly from
those of native Dutch families. Uprooted from their own traditions, many
immigrants tend to adhere to strict rules for their children and create a world
of their own in this environment that is strange to them. No command or a
limited command of the Dutch language reinforces this attitude. Lack of suf-
ficient orientation in society, however, causes all kinds of conflicts. For
example, they do not understand the way in which teachers treat their chil-
dren, especially when there are behavioral problems. In line with their own
tradition, these parents advocate strict rules and see teachers as experts who
are masters that need to be obeyed by their children.
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Lack of knowledge
The findings of the study in the secondary school show that teachers
vary considerably in their problem consciousness regarding the matters
involved here. They do not have organized or structural discussions on the
cultural differences and problems at their school. One of the teachers feels
that ‘You can’t force me to become more intercultural.’ Some teachers say
that they do not want to know much about their students’ religious and cul-
tural backgrounds: ‘It is not necessary to know everything about each other.’
If they show little knowledge of the differences in cultures, they state that
this is not a problem to them: ‘Ethnic minority students should understand
that some aspects of their diverse cultures are unknown.’
A number of teachers do have more appreciation of the particular situa-
tion of ethnic minority students. One teacher, for example, pointed out that
many of the students at this school live in two cultures or are the offspring
of mixed marriages. These factors can cause confusion for the students. In
discussions examples of life balancing between two cultures emerge, such as
Chinese students who are regarded as adults at home and run a household,
but are treated as children at school. Moroccan girls receive conflicting mes-
sages from the Muslim community and from the school. Moreover, the emo-
tions and behavior of, for example, Muslim students sometimes clash with
the demands of the Dutch youth culture (clothes, expressions, freedom and
sexual contact at an early age). Such factors increase the uncertainty and
confront the students with such questions as: ‘Where do I belong?’ ‘What is
my position, should I wear a headscarf or not?’
In line with the parents’ view, the teachers state that schools should pay
special attention to the enforcement of rules. In their opinion, parents attach
great importance to the fact that schools socialize their children into disci-
pline, keep them under control and teach them to get along with each other
in a respectful way. More discipline will also have a positive effect on the
learning processes. Adhering to the rules in a normal way provides the stu-
dent not only with certainty, but also encourages independent action. Teach-
ers acknowledge that, in many other cultures, rules are drummed into the
children’s minds, but rules can also be learned in such a way that children or
students will accept and internalize the rules by themselves. Teachers are
important for the learning of rules because they function as role models.
This study also shows that the interviewed teachers had little knowledge
of the socialization processes which take place at home, i.e. in the family.
School principals in our research plead for teachers paying home visits, from
178

which they may learn much more about their students than from the formal
intake interviews at school which give only restricted information on the stu-
dents’ cultural backgrounds for reasons of privacy.
In connection with question of values in a multicultural school it has
been remarked that ‘immigrant students noticeably lack understanding of the
acceptance of authority.’ In a discussion with a teacher about the values and
standards of immigrant students the term ‘negotiation culture’ was used.
This teacher was irritated by the fact that immigrant pupils – and their par-
ents – thought they could persuade the teacher to award higher marks so that
the student would pass the grade.
A well-thought out and carefully examined relationship with other cul-
tural opinions and customs is important. Teachers must be aware, for exam-
ple, that immigrant students are not used to looking directly at them, because
that is not part of their culture. In connection with this, a teacher remarked
that immigrant student must gradually learn to do so, since this adjustment
is desirable. The directors questioned had this to say on the subject, ‘In
recent years there has been more thought on such matters, particularly due
to the increased immigrant student population. However, this mostly takes
place informally and that is no good thing, because often one reacts to loose
statements. There should be a focused dialogue, with study days and such.’
The teachers’cultural knowledge differs from person to person and is also
dependent on the subject taught. The school principals point out that the last
few years have seen more conflicts and a deterioration in the relations between
the native Dutch and ethnic minority groups, not only in society at large but
also at school. ‘Ethnic minority boys don’t listen very well to female teachers.’
Islamic consciousness is very much present in a very large part of the male stu-
dents, but there is no reason to speak of extremists, according to a number of
teachers. If a teacher is paying attention to aspects of the Islamic religion, stu-
dents are eager to hear mistakes or false interpretations.
Discussion and recommendations
The position of ethnic minorities in education is now increasingly prob-
lematized in the Netherlands. In relation to ethnic minorities, topics such as
violence at school, headscarves, Islamic schools, educational segregation,
emancipation, tolerance and discrimination, moral standards and values, and
early school leaving are major issues in the public debate (Driessen, 2001;
Driessen & Valkenberg, 2000). In addition, the Dutch government also
179

demands a more active attitude from minority parents in this sphere and they
are also given more responsibility.
Both studies show that communication is a prerequisite for parental involve-
ment and participation as well as teacher involvement in the intercultural prob-
lems at school and in society. What is not entirely clear is the underlying reason
for this lack of good communication. This has undoubtedly something to do with
the parents and teachers themselves.As for the parents, this reason may their often
poor command of the Dutch language, their low levels of education, or their unfa-
miliarity with the Dutch education system. On the other hand, both studies also
reveal that teachers are not always willing and do not always have the specific
communication skills to deal with such a heterogeneity of foreign cultures, lan-
guages and religions. A prerequisite of course is knowledge of the very diverse
backgrounds of the students. These aspects should therefore be given more
focused attention in teacher training institutes, both in colleges initial study pro-
grams and refresher courses (Van Kessel & Smit, 1998).
On the basis of these two studies, the following recommendations were
made:
— Education and child rearing should become more integrated;
upbringing at school and upbringing at home need to be harmonized.
— Teachers and parents ought to be more aware of the fact that they
need each other to communicate better about the pedagogical cli-
mates at home and at school, and about how to integrate each other’s
contributions and develop respect for each other’s contributions to
the children’s upbringing and education.
— It is essential that teachers and parents are open towards each other,
become acquainted with each other’s cultural and religious back-
grounds, and consider education and upbringing their joint task and
responsibility.
— Parents should be considered less as suppliers of children and more
as serious partners, whom schools need to make sure that students
feel at home and also do well at school. More than they do now,
schools should take into account the increasing diversity of back-
grounds, wishes and expectations of parents.
— Parents should be made aware that they have the obligation to main-
tain contacts with the school in their children’s interest and to col-
laborate in upbringing and education. On the basis of their own
responsibility, they can and should make a major contribution to
their children’s well-being and development at school.
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— The support to parents might consist of providing information on
the rights and obligations of parents and schools regarding educa-
tion and upbringing. In addition, some insight might be provided
into what a school-parents partnership entails, what they as part-
ners may expect from each other, and how this relation may be sub-
stantiated.
— Through peer supervision, teachers might help to improve their col-
leagues’ expertise in this field within the context of their own work
situation.
— Parental involvement in education ought to be placed much higher
on the policy agenda in the plans of schools and school boards. This
should create a situation in which a school’s vision, views on moral
standards and values, the relation between socialization and qualifi-
cation, mutual expectations, and tasks and responsibilities are made
much more explicit. And parents should agree to this in writing when
they when they come to school to register their child.
— A mutual dialogue should take place in school teams about the
school as a community of values. This dialogue should deal with
such questions as: Do students from a different cultural background
feel that their values are respected? How is this respect or lack of it
demonstrated? Do all teachers have this knowledge? Are they all
concerned, or are some totally uninterested? Who defines ‘respect’
and what is the role of the teacher, the directors, and the students in
this? What is the role of unwritten rules?
— In school teams there could be a more structured method of discussion
about pedagogic relations and interaction. ‘There must be more open-
ness about the pedagogic interaction of teachers with their students:
teachers must retain their own contribution to this.’It was clear from the
research that there are still different opinions about values and standards,
and pedagogic functions. This is only to be expected and does not pose
a great problem so long as mutual reflection and discussion take place.
It is not advisable to assume that everyone has the same ideas and prac-
tices. It would seem advisable to intensify the discussion about the inter-
action with students of differing ethnic backgrounds, in particular con-
sistent attention should be paid to the tension between their own tradi-
tional cultural identity and adaptation to the Dutch culture.
— Further training of teachers should be aimed at optimizing the com-
munication and interaction between teachers and parents. The goal
of further training might be to provide teachers with tools that allow
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them to improve the roles that parents can play in their children’s
affective and cognitive development.
— School policy aimed at increasing the intercultural sensitivity of col-
leagues can make use of various methods – focused discussions
among colleagues, the organization of study days, coaching both new
and established colleagues, the incorporation of the question in the
practical part of teacher training, and visits to other cultures and lands
(a more intensive form of acquaintance). It must be realized in this that
not all teachers will find extra training and reflection desirable.
— In initial and further teacher training, more attention should be paid
to the teacher’s position vis-à-vis parents and also to such aspects as
a customer-oriented approach to work, making mutual expectations
explicit, and addressing each other about capacities, responsibilities
and agreements made.
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Note
1
Ethnic minorities in the Netherlands can be divided into four categories: (1) immigrants
from former Dutch colonies (Indonesia, Surinam and the Netherlands Antilles); (2) so-
called ‘guest workers’ from the Mediterranean countries (e.g., Italy, Spain, Turkey and
Morocco), who predominantly came to the Netherlands during the 1960s; (3) a more
recent influx of asylum seekers/refugees from Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East,
lately especially from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, and former Yugoslavia; and (4)
immigrants from Western countries such as Belgium, Germany, the UK and the USA.
Applying ‘country of birth’ as the criterion, in 2005 the largest ethnic minority groups
were of Turkish, Surinamese, Moroccan, and Antillean origin, with 358,000, 328,000, and
315,000 and 130,000 people, respectively, out of a total Dutch population of 16.5 million.
184

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