Parental Participation in Schools
Indicator Rationale
The broader associational and community networks established around a common interest or involvement in specific settings, such as a school, provide the same benefits to individuals as networks of close personal ties (but from a wider pool), and can also generate additional benefits for communities. School-based volunteering is a measure of community engagement and social connectedness. As well as the economic value of the services volunteers provide, volunteering builds social networks and other community benefits. "Benefits include positive social attitudes such as tolerance of diversity, positive norms that decrease anti-social behaviour, and involvement in the decision-making that can improve community life." (Pope, 2006).
Data Source
Data were collected in telephone surveys conducted in October 2004 and January 2006. In each LGA in Victoria, 300 residents over the age of 18 were surveyed. This is the same sample size as used in the CIV Survey.
DPCD cautions against using the data from the two surveys for time trend analysis. For a number of reasons (including sampling variability), data can fluctuate considerably from one survey to the next, potentially masking overall trends. In addition, the two surveys conducted were not run at the same time of the year, and therefore some results may reflect seasonal variation.
Measure
Parents Involved in Activities at Their Children's School: expressed as a percentage of parents with school-aged children
Survey Questions
Do you have school aged children? Yes; No
Are you actively involved with activities in their school? Yes; No
References
Perkins, Brown & Taylor, 1996, The Ecology of Empowerment: predicting participation in Community Organisations, Journal of Social Issues, 52 (1): 85-110.
Wollebaek & Selle, 2002, Does Participation in Voluntary Associations Contribute to Social Capital? The Impact of Intensity, Scope and Type. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. 31 (1):32-61.
