Parents' Association

Verified 09 April 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

What is a parents' association ? What's his object ? What's his role ? From which means does she have? We give you the main information on this subject.

The creation of a parents' association obeys the same rules of creating only one association law 1901.

However, in addition to being at least 2 founders and having to deposit the statutes in the prefecture, it is necessary to make themselves known (other parents, teachers, etc.) within the school.

A parent-of-pupils association consists exclusively of parents of pupils and third parties (guardian, curator, member of the extended family such as an uncle, an aunt, etc.) responsible for the education of at least one pupil.

Its purpose is to defence of the following interests:

  • Moral interests (equal treatment of pupils, ensuring the safety of children in teaching establishments)
  • Material interests (upgrading of premises, reasonable cost of school meals and accessible to all) common to parents of pupils

The parents' association also aims to to represent parents in schools (school, middle school, high school).

Information for parents

For inform families on the activities and on the life of the establishment, the parents' association may disseminate documents. These must be clearly identified as coming from parents' associations. Their content must comply with the following rules:

  • Principle of secularism
  • Privacy provisions
  • Prohibition of any insult, defamation or propaganda in favor of a political party or a commercial company

The parents' association hands over its documents to school leaders. The latter distribute them to the students as they go so that they can be given to their parents.

The conditions for dissemination shall be defined, in consultation, between the head of establishment and the associations.

In order to guarantee equal treatment between associations, documents are distributed simultaneously and under the same conditions during the first week of the school year.

The parents' association or the head of school may refer the matter to the rector of the academy in the following situations:

  • In case of disagreement on the conditions of distribution
  • Where the head of school considers that the content of a document does not comply with the principles of the public education service

The rector of the academy then has 7 days to pronounce.

If no reply is received within this period, the document shall be circulated.

Meetings and services for parents or pupils

A parent-student association may organize of briefings (on the operation of the establishment, the provision of education, etc.) for the attention of parents or pupils, with or without the participation of teachers.

It may also propose and organize some services (e.g. school support) for parents or pupils.

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Meeting or service related to teaching activities

Where the meeting or service is directly related to teaching activities or is of particular interest to pupils and families, authorization from the City Hall is not required.

This is the case, for example, for information meetings on the organization of loans and grants for supplies, books.

However, it is recommended that the association inform the city council and take out insurance.

Other meeting or service

When the meeting or service is not directly related to the needs of the training (fairs, clothing exchange,...), the association must request the prior authorization of the town hall.

Before granting its authorization, the City Hall consults the school or administrative council (and the local authority owning the buildings in the case of a college or a high school).

The mayor may also submit his authorization for the signature of an agreement. This sets out, in particular, the safety obligations of the parents' association, the scope of its liability and the conditions for compensation for any damage.

In the absence of an agreement, the municipality is liable for any damages, unless the liability of a third party is established.

School insurance

The parents' association is the only one able to distribute the proposals to the parents, through the pupils of school insurance.

The insurance proposal and the registration form must be presented in a single document or group of documents.

Reminder

The presentation of an insurance certificate is not mandatory for the admission of a child to a school and his participation in compulsory school activities. On the other hand, insurance is compulsory for optional activities (school trips, language stay, etc.).

Resources include:

  • Contributions of its members, associations, federations and sections of associations of parents of adhering pupils
  • Public or private subsidies
  • Donations, contributions (local company, community organizations, parents...
  • Fundraising (fairs, lottery,...)

TO school, the parents' association may be represented in the school board.

At college or at secondary school, it may be represented at board of directors and the class councils.

Please note

The parents' association may also be represented on the Higher Council of Education (CSE) and on the academic and departmental councils of National Education.

The parents' association may become acquainted with and obtain a copy of the list of parents of pupils at the school. This list shall include their names, postal addresses and e-mail addresses, provided that the parents have given their express consent to such communication.

The parents' association must benefit from material resources, such as a mailbox and one display panel located in a place accessible to parents.

It may obtain, free of charge, from the State or from local and regional authorities, computer hardware that is no longer in use.

Please note

A parents' association cannot set up its head office in a school premises.

Yeah. Yeah. In each school, the list of parent associations of pupils, including the names and contact details of those responsible, must be displayed in a place accessible to the public.

The same applies to the list of federations, unions or associations of parents of pupils represented in the Higher Council of Education and in the academic and departmental councils of National Education.

Yes, parents' associations can form a federation or a union and thus be more representative.

The role of departmental unions may be, for example, to coordinate the actions of parents' associations within the department and to defend the interests of parents and pupils in the field of education.

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