MR Start (English)

The basic course for working as a member of a PC in primary and secondary education!
1 meeting of 2,5 hours – On location – Specifically for your PC

About this course

If you are new to the Participation Council (PC) in primary or secondary education, or if you want to assess your basic knowledge again, then the MR Start course is the course for you.

It is important for PC members to have a solid understanding of their roles, responsibilities, and rights. Every school must have a PC, where staff members, parents, and (in secondary education) students come together to make important decisions about school policies. PC members represent the stakeholders and actively contribute with critical and constructive thinking to the Competent Authority (CA).

During MR Start, you will gain insight into the formal and informal position of the Participation Council (what it entails). We will discuss the various rights and responsibilities of the PC, as well as examine the documents that the PC should be familiar with and the position of the MRPCwithin the school organization. With the knowledge you acquire during this course, you will have a solid foundation for understanding the legal aspects of PC work.

In the first part of the course, we focus on the role and position of the PC within the school organization. How can the PC both exercise control over the administration and represent the constituency while also initiating its own actions? And how do the PC, the GPC (General Participation Council), the administrator, and the school management relate to each other? Additionally, in this part, we discuss how PC members are elected in accordance with the Law on Participation in Education (WMS) and explore the general responsibilities of the PC.

In the second part, we delve deeper into the WMS and the rights that the PC possesses: the right to receive information, to initiate actions, to engage in consultations, to provide advice, and to give consent on certain proposals. What are the specific implications of each right, and what procedures are established for them? The objective of this part is for the PC to become acquainted with some of its own rights and to know where these rights are outlined in the law.

In the third and final part, we will delve into several important documents that every PC member should be familiar with. The WMS includes national agreements regarding the organization of participation, but there are also matters determined at the foundation or school level. For example, there is a participation charter at the foundation level that addresses the organization of participation within the foundation. Additionally, each (G)MR/school has its own participation regulations with agreements, including the number of PC members, how the PC communicates with the stakeholders, and timeframes.

After this course:

• you will be familiar with the position of participation in the school;
• you will be acquainted with the key powers;
• you will know which documents and facilities are of importance.

• Practical information

  Number of participants
  A group consists of maximum 15 participants, to make sure that there are enough possiblities for asking questions and having discussions. Do you want to organise this course for your PC with more participants? Contact us for the possibilities.

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  Target group
  The course is meant for (members of) PC’s, school directors/boards and all other people that are involved with participation on school. Prior knowledge of participation is not required.

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  Duration
  The course consists of 1 meeting of 2,5 hours.

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  Location
  It is possible to organise this course for your PC on a location of your choosing. Click the button ‘Aanvragen’ lower on this page. The location needs to have a possibility to show a digital presentation. We can also organise the course for your PC online.

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  Materials
  The participants receive digital materials.

  Digital materials to receive
  Before the course meeting:

  • Printable version of the presentation
    Can be printer and used during the course for taking notes
  • Reference guide on advisory and consent rights (G)PC and OPR
    To be used during and after the course
  • Take-home exercise (2 pieces)
    To be used after the course
  • Workbook participation council
    With among other things a format for a work plan, examples of agendas en meeting minutes, a handy checklist and a list with abbreviations

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• Evaluations

  Overview of all participant evaluations
  Course participants complete a digital evaluation form immediately after the course. Below you can view the overview of alle submitted evaluations.

  The overview is automatically and instantly updates, so you always see the most current results. In the top right corner, you can filter by course name to view the evaluation scores and comments for each course.

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• Pricing

  Kosten voor deze cursus worden vergoed
  All reasonably necessary costs for the work of the PC, including training costs, are at the expresse of the competent authority (artikel 28 lid 2 WMS). The costs of this course are therefore compensated by the school leader or school board; asking for permission is not required. This also is the case for the VOO-membership. Become a member of the VOO as a PC and receive 20% discount on this and other courses, on guidance en gain access to the VOO Helpdesk for all your questions.

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  For your PC
  To organise this course for your PC, click on the blue button ‘Aanvragen’ below.

  • Members: €929,60 | up to 10 deelnemers
    In case of more participants an extra fee of €22,72 per person will be charged.
    
  • Non-members: €1.162,- | up to 10 deelnemers
    In case of more participants an extra fee of €28,40 per person will be charged.

  The amount mentioned above excludes traveling costs (dependent on the travel time and distance) and preperation costs (€129,20 voor members, €161,50 for non-members). The preparation includes a preliminary meeting and a review of relevant documents, allowing the course instructor to thoroughly familiarize themselves with your PC.

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  Included for free: four weeks’ access to the VOO Helpdesk
  Participants can use the VOO Helpdesk for up to four weeks after this course at no cost, where they can ark questions about education and participation. The helpdesk can be reached by email and by phone on school days from 10:00 to 13:00.

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