Parents' involvement in the education of children is a necessity for the academic and social success of all children.

This is more so for children of Horn of African heritage, as compounding factors i.e. civil wars, past refugee experiences, overcrowding, poverty, and lack of parents' active participation in the school lead to wide spread academic underachievement, and exceptionally high drop out rates.

EARAD has seen cases where a child has had multiple bone fractures in the morning (around 10am) and kept in the school until it was time to go home (3:20pm) with swollen and painful arm. When the school were asked why they kept the child in school for so long and did not take him to hospital, their answer: we called mum and she did answer. We have seen cases were the teacher said to a Somali pupil "other Somali pupils who finished this school sell drugs on such and such street". The cases are countless.

The solution is participation, active involvement in the school, and setting up parents' awareness groups. This will lead to your (parents) voices been heard, respect for your children and community. It will also lead to regular events and programmes for the children to educate about their language, culture as well as homework support from within your community.

EARAD has organised, helped and advised parents who were willing to get together and be actively involved in the education of their children. When you form parent's awareness group, you will have a representation in your schools' governing body, and staff from your background who speak your language. Thus your voice, suggestions and concerns in your school will be taken into account. If you feel you don't speak sufficient English, there are ways to work around this. The one thing that parents must not do is 'not involve in your children's school' because that will be a guaranteed failure.

If you need any help on how to form such organisation, advice and where to start, as well as the benefits and costs, please contact EARAD as soon as possible. EARAD will be able to come to your local area and meet the parents, give all the examples that has worked so far for parents around the UK. If other parents did it, you, too, can do it.