Parents rights and duties, as well as meaningful parental involvement has been high on the agenda of EPA ever since it was established in 1985. For the 30^thanniversary there was a survey concluded showing that this is still a grey area in most European countries. The Paris attacks in February 2015 triggered a Declaration by EU Education Ministers on the importance of rights, inclusion and active citizenship, but little has happened in the field on European level.

Parents associations all over Europe know that the ultimate safe environment for learning active citizenship, and this is not only true for those children attending the schools, but also their parents and teachers. Holding a meeting in Croatia, the newest member of the EU, but also a country that used to belong to the former Yugoslavia, is the best possible opportunity to talk about these issues. Thus the first EPA conference of the year will be about rights and duties, active and meaningful participation of children and parents in schools, and mutual understanding.
Registration is now open.
Deadlines:

• registration, including booking accommodation until midnight 20 March
• registration with self-organised accommodation until 15 April

Preliminary Programme 
The conference is held in English.

Friday, April 29^th, 2016

12:00                   School visit at school Lapad
14:00                   Lunch and registration
15:00                   Official opening by the Mayor of Dubrovnik, Andro Vlahušić, the                             President of the hosting association, Silvija Stanic and President                            of EPA, Eszter Salamon
15:30                   Keynote session
Parents’ role in ensuring the rights of the child – Ivana Milas                                 Klarić, Croatian Ombudsman for Children
Happy childhood taken seriously – you and your child as                                     competent partners in school – Christopher Clouder,                                             educational consultant and lecturer, co-founder of Alliance for                              Childhood
Child participation and parental involvement in school                                         governance – Paul Downes, Dublin University and Petra Goran, European Commission
17:00                   Coffee break
17:30-18:30         Round table – Rights of the child, rights of parents and                                        participation in countries of the region
19:00                   informal conference dinner at Restaurant Gusta, followed by a short walking tour of the old town, with the option to join the local Wine Festival

Saturday, April 30^th, 2016

9:30-11:30           Workshop session 1
                            Following up keynotes
                            Training session on active citizenship and European literacy
Regional workshop in local languages
11:30                   Coffee break
12:00-14:00         Workshop session 2 
                            Continuing the work started in the morning
14:00                   Lunch
15:00-18:00         EPA General Assembly – only for EPA members (with one coffee break at elections)

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Participation fee:
EUR 100 per person for those eligible to reduced rate
EUR 125 per person for non-members and additional participants of members
Accommodation:
The organisers can book you accommodation in case you register by 15^thMarch.
A single room costs EUR 75 per night, including breakfast and public transport
A double room costs EUR 95 per night, including breakfast and public transport
Please note that cancellation is only possible before 15^th March. In case you cancel later, you have to pay the full fee due and also the cost of accommodation booked.
In case you organise your own accommodation, you can register for the conference until 20^th April.
You can register at this link
In all organisational questions please contact Brigitte Haider
e-mail:        GA@euparents.eu
Tel. no:        +43-664 562 4043