INTERPARENTS and the European Schools

INTERPARENTS (IP) is an international non-profit making association (AISBL) registered in Luxembourg and serves as the legal representative of the parents' associations of the European Schools.

In particular, INTERPARENTS represents the parents' associations in the higher instances of European School governance: the Board of Governors (BoG), the Budgetary Committee (BC) and the Joint Teaching Committee (JTC). INTERPARENTS also appoints representatives to sit on working groups mandated by the board of governors and to represent the parents as and when required at other meetings which concern the functioning of the schools.

INTERPARENTS convenes meetings four times a year to discuss issues of common interest and to develop common positions. Notable issues treated include:

European School Language Policy
Pedagogical reform and the Eight Key Competences
Competence-based assessment and the New Marking System in secondary
Educational Technology and Digital Competence
Evolution of and support for the Baccalaureate
Students with special educational needs (SEN)
Failures and repeat rates
Inspection and quality assurance
Cost sharing and teacher remuneration
Sustainability
Ensuring infrastructure and funding

The EEB1 APEEE has three delegates serving on INTERPARENTS: NN, Aleyda HERNÁNDEZ, Noémie BEIGBEDER. Several EEB1 parent representatives have also been mandated to serve INTERPARENTS on particular dossiers: Sven MATZKE (Educational Support), Margarita SAVOVA (Gifted Children), Emese SAVOIA-KELETI (IP-Data Protection).

A meeting schedule for the current school year can be found on the page: Meeting Diary.

Board of Governors and the Preparatory Meeting Cycle

The European Schools Board of Governors (BOG) is the highest body of the European Schools. The Board of Governors meets twice a year (in April and December) and its membership includes:

a senior representative of the educational authority of each EU Member State
a representative of the European Commission
a representative of the European Patent Office (only for decisions concerning the Munich school)
a representative of the parents
a representative of the teaching staff

The Board of Governors appoints the Secretary-General to oversee the daily management of the system with the support of the Office of the Secretary-General (OSGES) based in Brussels.

Board of Governors' meetings are prepared through two preparatory meeting cycles extending from September-December and January-April. Each preparatory meeting cycle follows the same programme:

September and January - Administrative Boards of the 13 separate European Schools (See also: APEEE and EEB1)
October and February - Boards of Inspectors: primary, secondary and joint boards
October and February - Joint Teaching Committee (JTC)
November and March - Budgetary Committee (BC)
December and April - Board of Governors (BoG)

Each meeting in the half-year cycle is chaired by the inspector or delegate of the member state which holds the annual presidency of the European Schools.

INTERPARENTS sends four delegates to the Joint Teaching Committee; two observers to the Budget Committee; and two delegates - an official delegate and a deputy - to the Board of Governors.

The Office of the Secretary General also constitutes working groups upon mandate of the Board of Governors. The composition of the groups vary depending on the nature of the task, but quite a few include parent delegates sent by INTERPARENTS.

A meeting schedule for the current school year can be found on the page: Meeting Diary.