Sharing Good Practice
COMMUNICATION- WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH ?
BY CATHERINE NANCY O ’ FARRELL
With the lightning speed of technological developments in the media sphere , communication is becoming an ever pervasive part of our daily lives . We are persistently bombarded with notifications from social media , merchants , news channels , work and personal contacts . When is enough enough ?
This year the Dubai wellness survey looked at 103,000 responses from 162 schools , Ranches Primary being one of them . A conference was held this February to discuss the survey findings . There was a large focus on communications and how efficient schools are in communicating both internally and externally , sparking debate about whether it is all too much .
The KHDA parents survey relating to communication regularly highlights that parents feel overwhelmed by the quantity and range of communications they receive from schools on a daily basis . This is a big area of concern and has been for a number of years . Schools find themselves in the proverbial Catch 22 where demand and desire are at a juxtaposition .
Emails , newsletters , WhatsApp ’ s … there is a constant stream of incoming data from schools to be sifted through . Parents report feeling that they have to read all communications for fear of missing out on some vital information like a change in dates for a trip , the need for certain items to be brought in etc . The time and effort used in this endeavor generally results in parents feeling disillusioned and discontent . Teachers also feel the pressure .
The evolving and competitive nature of Dubai schools , creates the heavy burden of trying to ‘ keep up with the Jones ’. Though it ’ s much more than that , we may well be in Elon ’ s Tesla , Bowie blaring on the speakers , skyrocketing past the Jones ! The rate of change and innovation in communication systems for schools is astounding .
Long gone are the days of simple , stand alone , written reports handed over to parents once or twice a year-
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Class Time
now we have ‘ transparent classrooms ’, ‘ interactive learning ’ and ‘ real time parent commentary ’. Learning new systems alone is highly time consuming on top of the time and effort used to implement them .
Both schools and parents are calling out for change , more often than not in the direction of reducing or streamlining communications .
What can schools do ?
Ranches Primary School hosted a round table discussion as part of the Dubai Inclusion Network to address just this . We had leaders and educators from Deira to Jumeirah , representing 24 schools , come together to discuss the challenges and pitfalls faced , as well as to investigate possible solutions to this dilemma .
The general consensus was that parents from all the schools who participated were feeling burdened by the volume of communications they are receiving . Teachers too reported frustrations at constant changes in systems and procedures . The overwhelming message from this discussion was a call for streamlining and consolidation . If you have a system that is working- STICK WITH IT !
Allow time to embed a system .
Don ’ t be too quick to change- let the Jones ’ go ! Give teachers and parents time to get to know a system and its scope by allowing a minimum of 2-3 years with a new endeavor like SeeSaw .
Stay Informed .
Keep up to date with new developments but before trialing them analyse what they do- perhaps you are already carrying out that function in a different way through an app or system that you are using .
Do a little research .
Before buying into a new system ask around , consult with schools or parents who have used it and do a comparative study against the systems you already have in place .
Appraise .
Audit your current communication tools- are they all necessary or can one system carry out multiple functions . For example , robust systems like ISAMS can generate emails , timetables , calendars , SMS and even newsletters , which could amalgamate multiple sources of information in one delivery tool .
By applying these steps schools should be in a better position to appraise their current systems , resist the urge to change and streamline their communications . Cutting out the unnecessary , both teachers and parents should be more satisfied moving toward happier and healthier communications .
Catherine O ' Farrell is an experienced psychologist and teacher holding both a BSc-Psych as well as a B-Ed . She has worked in educational and medical institutions across Ireland , the UK , Australia and the UAE for over 12 years . She is currently the Head of Inclusion at Ranches Primary School in Dubai and the Director of Phase 2 for the Dubai Inclusion Network . She has recently undertaken an MSc in Systems Thinking and is looking forward to carrying out research as part of this endeavour in Dubai schools and institutions .