1. Tiit Meren Chairman Governing Board Tallinn English College
Parents´ participation in Tallinn English College Activities: “From Vision to Reality”
Tiit Meren
Chairman
Governing Board
Tallinn English College

2. What type of school is Tallinn English College?
Since1940 up to nowadays it performs advanced teaching of many subjects in English language (literature,history, geography, country study etc).
Many of the Tallinn EC graduates are today´s decision makers in Estonian politics, economics, cultural life and academical circles

6. Driving Forces in creating favourable conditions for the educational process in TEC
Parents (financial donations, different professional knowhow)
Alumni (Decision Makers in the Society)
English College FOUNDATION (an instrument for raising additional financial support for the shool)

7. Parents of Tallinn EC in pushing the development of educational matters
Soviet Era
Transformation (democratic managment) Era nowadays
Future Era ... In the coming years

8. 1. Soviet Era in Tallinn EC
Parents´ participation in solving every-day educational and management matters ... was Passive!

9. 2. Transformation Era= active change of conditions to improve educational level in Tallinn EC
Changing the original Governing Board by enlarging its representation (of parents) to all classes.
Establishing English College FOUNDATION (1998) as a certain instrument for additional financiation of educational projects

10. To solve the basic problems that blocked the continuation of several educational projects
The Board asked parents of TEC to donate money to cover the missing cost of advanced teaching projects that municipal budget couldn´t cover

11. Why parents established the English College Foundation?
The need for additional financial support for the teachers (municipal budget was not big enough for teachers´ salaries!).
Need for Book-keeping of Donations
Annual Auditing of its activities

12. From idealistic visions of 90´ies to the reality of the beginning of 21 century
By rising teachers salaries we slowed the tendency of teachers leaving to more profitable work elsewhere.
The “new” salary level enabled the school to attract/employ young motivated teachers to our school.
Helped to establish a computer programm system that enables the teachers to give marks to students electronically and deliver homework over webpage.
Enabled the shool to build and take into use a brand new Sports Centre with swimming pool and several gyms.

15. 3. Future Era (in the coming years)
Helping the school to start with International Bacalaureate Programm for the students.
Enablying management and book keeping services to run the new Sports´Centre.