Charles Conder Primary principal Jason Walmsley,and with family and community engagement co-ordinator Cate Robson.
SOUTH Canberra’s Charles Conder Primary is the first school in the ACT to join the nationwide Fathering Project, says principal Jason Walmsley.
The project, which began in 2013 in WA, has expanded to more than 480 schools across the country.
It engages fathers and father figures – including grandfathers and carers – to be involved in their children’s studies and with each other, says Jason.
“The research tells us that if dads are more engaged in their children’s learning, and will try to be involved as much as they can, the outcomes are really good for children,” he says.
The year that turbocharged fatherhood
Major shifts occurred during 2020 to many facets of fathering and ‘what it means to be a dad’. These extraordinary changes in the home, workplace and community were reflected by the media and new research conducted over the last year.
Men, it seems, have been looking for more opportunities to spend time with family. Research on young fathers, conducted by the Diversity Council of Australia a few years ago, reported that 79 per cent of new generation dads wanted the flexibility to improve their work and family life. For all its downsides, 2020 provided the opportunities.
It’s now apparent that the COVID-19 pandemic’s ‘working from home’ and ‘home schooling’ requirements have turbocharged the pace of change.
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