The Open Classroom initiative A Case Study on Parent-Teacher Cooperation in Kindergarten Education in France

Résumé En

In 1882, Jules Ferry established in France the Law of Compulsory Education. This law insisted on obligatory education regardless of social backgrounds. However, it also consisted of providing free education. Hence, despite the tuition free schooling, absenteeism is an alarming problem in France, especially in the Priority Education Areas (PEA) kindergarten. Therefore, we conducted an exploratory study at a kindergarten school in a big city of the south of France. To reduce absenteeism, parents and teachers have worked together to identify ways of improving the school-family relationship, and hence pupil attendance. Together they decided to set up the "open classroom" scheme to enable parents to observe their child's day-to-day life in the classroom. Interviews were conducted with parents and teachers following this project. The results indicate a high level of satisfaction with the project amidst both parents and teachers. Parents were able to identify several elements with which they were unfamiliar. Their discussions focused not only on their child’s behavior, but also on the skills he was acquiring during the session. Moreover, conversations were centered on parent-teacher relationship during the class. In the teachers’ perspective, organizational aspects prior to the opening of the classroom were discussed, as well as the influence of parents’ attendance in the classroom. In conclusion, we assume that the findings will contribute to the understanding of the various dynamics surrounding school absenteeism, particularly in the priority educational area (REP+). In one hand, our study intends to improve the parents-school relationship. On the other hand, it aims to decrease the rates of absenteeism. However, not all parents took part in the initiative. Some parents, considered to be distant from the school, were unable to be involved in the project.