Social-Cultural Perspective

INTRODUCTION
There is a wide acceptance to research recommending a variety of strategies to facilitate peoples’ attachment to the education system. This bonding among families, teachers and schools is especially important for the development of a healthy environment, for all students. In this paper, three strategies will be explored, namely (1) Parent-School partnership; (2) Encouraging participation in extra-curriculum activities; and (3) Empowerment. The practical implications of these three strategies, together with its strengths and weaknesses, will be discussed. The context is set in a neighborhood secondary school with an estimate number of 600 students from mixed races, between ages thirteen and sixteen. The students’ families, in general, have an average socioeconomic status, although a couple of families are on community assistance programs.

PARENT-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP
The strategy on Parent-School partnership refers to the collaboration between parents and school, to encourage and support students academically and emotionally, through teachers’ efforts to communicate with parents, as well as parents’ involvement in school-governance (Brandt, 1989). The partnership involve in the school includes interactions through individual communication booklets, regular newsletters and seminars conducted by the school for brief of overall programs and activities. However, the school should also incorporate having parents to provide their valuable feedbacks on their concerns of the programs, and probably their recommendations for improvements. Such interactions not only brings forth the attachment feelings of parents toward the education system, it also nurtures the teachers ' bonding toward their schools, especially when they are able to gain a sense of satisfaction, helping out students’ with academic and social difficulties.

The advantages of this partnership includes, (1) allowing parents to reinforce their children’s academic learning at home, synchronizing the teachings between teachers and parents; (2) strengthening students’ links to positive adults role models, thus protecting them from deviant behavior and substance abuse (Finn, 1989); (3) enable schools to understand, support and cater to the family’s special needs such as providing financial supports through community services; and (4) creates opportunities and provides “solid grounds for bonding students more firmly to the schools” (Bhaerman, 1988) which, will eventually increase the education participation of students (Finn, 1989). Studies have also shown that students with parents actively involved in their education do better in school (Henderson 1987, Delgado Gaitan 1990).

Although this partnership may be ideal to have, it can turn disastrous if students misunderstood the intent and assumed it as collaborations against them. This may result in students’ detachment from the school instead, due to a lack of trust. Nevertheless, such partnerships must still be encouraged by introducing activities for all, and having a common understanding between the teachers, parents and most importantly, the students.

Maintaining the partnership also poses difficulties. Singaporeans, in general, prefers not to getting actively involved with the schools. There is still a cultural mindset that academic responsibilities lies with the schools and meetings are only necessary when there are disciplinary or academic problems. This mindset thus creates a visionary illusion that students with parents in frequent meetings, with teachers and schools, are of the problematic kind, and exposing them to social and peer pressures. Some teachers may also believe that "their professional status is in jeopardy should the parents get involved in activities that are typically the teachers ' responsibilities" (Joyce, 1986, p.277). Such mindsets cannot be eliminated immediately but education and awareness will slowly turn the tables around. ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATION IN EXTRA-CURRICULUM ACTIVITIES (ECAS)
A place by itself has no attraction to a person unless there is something that the person can relate himself to. This sense of attachment can be inspired by creating opportunities for students, teachers and parents to discover their own sense of belonging through participation of activities such as school camps, performances or even competitions. Having every student involve in an ECA, such as a club or a sport, will enable them to cultivate an attachment feeling towards the school, and provide these students with a cause other than just getting an education. Every key episode will compose a masterpiece in their minds and create an emotional link towards the education system. The importance of this strategy is highlighted when the “element of participating in an extra-curriculum activity (ECA) was often included in measuring students’ connectivity to schools” (Heather, 2004 p.280).

The advantage of participating in ECAs circles around building a cohesive community. The recent Singapore High School Idol (a national teenager singing contest) has proven that even the whole school can unite to support their fellow schoolmates. The students and teachers shared a common goal in wanting their respective schoolmates to win the contest, although contestants do not represent their schools.

Clubs and societies also provide an avenue for students to mingle around and build relationships. Moody and Bearman 's (1998) connectedness scale in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health on school attachment includes three main measurements; (1) The degree to which students feel close to people at school; (2) are happy to be at school; and (3) feel like a part of school. Clubs and societies will be able to provide the opportunities for the identification growth, especially in local context, where the slogan “Fun in school starts after lessons” came about.

It is imperative to facilitate coordination between strategies to push forth the attachment feeling towards the schools. The parent-school partnership could come into play by having parents encouraging their children to participate in ECAs, which in turn cultivates their connection with the schools. Likewise, the ECAs could also be organized to include and increase the exchanges and communications between the parents and school management.

Sense of attachment and belonging is influential (Edwards, 1995), i.e. students can be helped to develop that sense of attachment and belonging by having the teachers and parents who have that feeling around them.

EMPOWERMENT
Empowerment is a sign of trust and respect towards a person, and giving that trust and respect to students in a supervised manner is an important key in developing their relationship with the education system. Stone (1995) suggested that empowerment can be facilitated with methods such as giving students ownership, allowing decision making and being responsible for the decisions taken. The benefits towards empowerment is the “ability to nurture and build self-confidence in students” (Haynes, 1996), enabling them to be responsible and independent. It is crucial that teachers and parents collectively support the movement through their partnerships, to facilitate the build up of sediments of attachment.

Empowerment facilitation is also achieved in the school’s ECAs, whereby teachers-in-charge of clubs and sports allow some flexibility in the governance and students play active roles in the planning and decision making processes. An example is the school band, which has a committee setup by senior students for its management. This organizational structure allows the school to establish yearly work plans for the band, yet empowering the students to administer the band on their own, working towards the set goals. A recent program called “DV (Digital Video) Singapore” was also introduced to the students, where they learned the skills of filming and editing a video to produce a short film. The empowerment given to the students to produce whatever topic they wanted, led them writing scripts and produced several documentaries, of which one was highlighted and aired on national television. These activities provide students with wonderful experiences which draws them closer to the school.
The empowerment, however, must come with supervision to prevent straying of its purpose. Supervision in the form of having teachers stationed within the ECAs as advisors will still be necessary, even at a steady state, as the students are nevertheless teenagers whom are young and inexperience and may act without the thought of consequences. Parents can also be roped into the ECAs as advisors, through their partnerships, and have an active role based on their expertise or experiences.

CONCLUSION
It is important to be aware that attachment towards schools cannot be easily achieved within a short span of time, especially in today’s context, where classes have large numbers of students, from different cultural backgrounds and religions, added on to the already heavy stresses on the teachers as well as students. It is also, in reality, that no single strategy is able to provide the means of closing any gaps between people and the education system, and that the attachment feeling has to be cultivated from within and cannot be forced upon anyone. The heart-ware of students, teachers and parents is the key towards achieving this connection. It is how we make full use of the strategies available around us, to our advantage, to facilitate the growth of peoples’ attachment towards their education system.

REFERENCES

Brandt, R. (1989, October). On parents and school: A conversation with Joyce Epstein. Emotional Leadership. p. 24-27.

Bhaerman, R. D. (1988). The school’s choice: Guidelines for dropout prevention at the middle and junior high school. Columbus, Ohio: National Center for Research Vocational Education, Ohio State University.

Delgado-Gaitam, C. (1990). Literacy for empowerment: The role of parents in children’s education. New York. Falmer Press.

Edwards, D. (1995). The school counselor’s role in helping teachers and students. Elementary School Guidance and Counseling. 29, p. 191-197.

Finn, J. (1989). Withdrawal from school. Review of Educational Research. 59, 117-112.

Handerson, A.T. (1987). The evidence continues to grow: Parent involvement improves student achievement. Washington, DC. National Committee for Citizens in Education.

Haynes, D. (1996). Students empowerment: Definitions, Implications and Strategies for implementations. Grambling State University.

Heather, P. L. (2004). Measuring Student Relationships to School: Attachment, Bonding, Connectedness, and Engagement. Journal of School Health. 74 (7), p. 274-283.

Joyce L.E. (1986). Parents ' Reactions to Teacher Practices of Parent Involvement. The Elementary School Journal. 86 (3), p. 277-294.

Moody J, Bearman PS. (1998). Shaping school climate: school context, adolescent social networks, and attachment to school. Unpublished manuscript.

Stone, S. (1995). Empowering teachers, empowering children. Childhood Education Annual Theme. p. 294-295.

References: Brandt, R. (1989, October). On parents and school: A conversation with Joyce Epstein. Emotional Leadership. p. 24-27. Bhaerman, R. D. (1988). The school’s choice: Guidelines for dropout prevention at the middle and junior high school. Columbus, Ohio: National Center for Research Vocational Education, Ohio State University. Delgado-Gaitam, C. (1990). Literacy for empowerment: The role of parents in children’s education. New York. Falmer Press. Edwards, D. (1995). The school counselor’s role in helping teachers and students. Elementary School Guidance and Counseling. 29, p. 191-197. Finn, J Handerson, A.T. (1987). The evidence continues to grow: Parent involvement improves student achievement. Washington, DC. National Committee for Citizens in Education. Haynes, D. (1996). Students empowerment: Definitions, Implications and Strategies for implementations. Grambling State University. Heather, P. L. (2004). Measuring Student Relationships to School: Attachment, Bonding, Connectedness, and Engagement. Journal of School Health. 74 (7), p. 274-283. Joyce L.E. (1986). Parents ' Reactions to Teacher Practices of Parent Involvement. The Elementary School Journal. 86 (3), p. 277-294. Moody J, Bearman PS. (1998). Shaping school climate: school context, adolescent social networks, and attachment to school. Unpublished manuscript. Stone, S. (1995). Empowering teachers, empowering children. Childhood Education Annual Theme. p. 294-295.