A week of exchanges on parental involvement with Cleopatra

‘It’s our school, not the teacher’s school’

A week of inspiration and exchange on parental engagement with Cleopatra Muma Chona

In 2024, unfortunately, her visit couldn’t take place, but this year we had the honour of welcoming Cleopatra Muma Chona from Zambia Open Community Schools (ZOCS) for a week at eNSPIRED.

The busy schedule included a conference in Rotterdam, a school visit in Aalst, and a hybrid webinar at the VVOB office in Brussels. Cleopatra’s visit gave us the chance to reflect on global challenges in education.

But more importantly, it reignited our energy to dream of a sustainable school environment where parents and teachers work together to take the lead.

As Executive Director of Zambia Open Community Schools (ZOCS), Cleopatra Muma Chona is dedicated to sustainable and inclusive education. With over 20 years of experience in the social sector, she works with ZOCS on innovative education solutions that focus on parental and community engagement.

The Zambian NGO, founded in 1992, demonstrates that locally supported schools are a powerful lever for change. ZOCS identifies areas without schools and, in partnership with the community, builds educational facilities. Additionally, the organisation pressures the government to implement structural improvements and make education accessible to all.

Or as Cleopatra puts it: "If a voting ballot reaches every household, then why doesn’t every child have access to education?"

Velon-Velov Conference 2025

The triennial Velon-Velov Conference 2025 delivered on its promise: an inspiring event for teacher trainers from Belgium and the Netherlands. With over 300 contributions from experts, it covered the challenges and opportunities in education.

The cherry on top was having the chance to host a symposium alongside Odisee University of Applied Sciences, Koogo, and ZOCS. During the session, we explored parental engagement from a variety of perspectives.


 

Marieke Bavelaar from the parent association NGO Koogo presented the Betrokkenheidsboom (Engagement Tree), a conceptual framework for education professionals. This framework consists of three elements: the tree metaphor, the collaboration triangle, and the influence circle. She illustrated how schools and teacher training programmes can use this to strengthen parent-school partnerships.The Engagement Tree

Johan De Wilde, outgoing co-chair of Velov and teacher trainer at Odisee University of Applied Sciences, discussed how Odisee has adapted its curriculum to place more emphasis on collaboration and communication with parents. He addressed concrete challenges such as preparing future teachers for parental involvement and the tension between competency development and practical experience.

Cleopatra Muma Chona brought an international perspective by reflecting on the Flemish approach through the lens of community schools in Zambia. She discussed how parental engagement not only impacts learning outcomes but also contributes to community development and school improvement.

We concluded with a recorded message from Martijn Willemse, associate lecturer and teacher trainer at Windesheim. Willemse discussed a 2015 article on parental engagement in teacher training programmes in Belgium and the Netherlands and noted that, at the time, little attention was given to involving parents. As of 2025, the topic remains relevant: toolboxes have been created, simulations developed, and 360-degree videos captured to support future teachers in their interactions with parents.

Willemse concluded that collaboration, in its broadest sense, will be the key focus moving forward and left everyone with the pressing question: "How do we collectively train teachers to work with parents, both in words and actions?"
 

School visit to GAAF! in Aalst.

After two days of theoretical exchanges on parental engagement, it was time to take a closer look at a practical example. That’s why we visited primary school GAAF! in Aalst, a school that has been using an innovative approach in this area for several years now. While many schools mark a thick white line at the school gate to symbolise the point where parents leave their children, GAAF! chooses a different approach. During her visit, Cleopatra observed the school’s “soft landing” practice; a moment when parents accompany their children all the way into the classroom, helping to ease the transition from home to school.

GAAF! has long been experimenting with new classroom models, breaking down the traditional barriers between school and home. “We don’t see parental engagement as an extra task, but as an essential part of our education,” says principal Sofie De Pauw. While the learning child remains at the heart of everything, the school actively works to engage its diverse parent community. Several times a year, the school organises a ‘forum’ where parents or grandparents participate in the classroom and children get to showcase what they’ve learned.

In addition to classroom observations, the visit to GAAF! offered a unique opportunity to engage in conversations with school leadership, teachers, and parent representatives. The programme began with a shared breakfast, where parents and staff involved in reading promotion could connect and exchange ideas. Cleopatra shared her insights and experiences from Zambia, offering another perspective on how schools around the world can engage parents and communities to strengthen the learning environment.News article HLNNews report TV Oost

Educaid.be Connect&Learn Webinar

To introduce Belgian education stakeholders in the NGO sector to Cleopatra, we invited her as a speaker for the first Educaid.be Connect&Learn webinar of 2025.

Cleopatra not only shared insights about the Zambia Open Community Schools but also spoke about how the organisation has managed to stay afloat as an NGO over the years. She also reflected on future developments, highlighting the uncertain donor landscape as one of the key challenges.