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Parental apathy is not an option

The role parents play in education should be given greater prominence in education dialogue, says Denise Roberts, Publishing Director of Parental Eye.

Parents and guardians are vital partners in the education provision, she says, and their roles should be taken much more seriously.

Parental Eye is being exhibited at the Education Show at the NEC in Birmingham (Stand PV152) for the first time this year with the aim of strengthening the valuable links already developed with schools.

Whilst there, Parental Eye will make a case for parental involvement to become a core focus in the fight against the issues causing the most concern in our schools, such as violence against school staff and other pupils, under achievement and classroom disruption.

Schools and parents need to work in partnership to change the laddish culture exercised by a minority of pupils, as well as other negative behaviour that is jeopardising the education of the majority of pupils.

Recent policies have identified some worrying trends in schools, such as the carrying of knives and other weapons and it is in areas such as this that parents can make the greatest difference. Their roles are too often understated, says Roberts.

And the case for serious focus on parental involvement does not stop here. Raising attainment, tackling bullying and improving literacy are other areas that could be tackled more effectively if parents were more actively involved, and understood what schools face.

“We can no longer afford to be complacent when it comes to the need for parents and schools to work in partnership to tackle the range of challenges affecting educational attainment today,” Roberts adds.

“We know that in some cases it has become a life or death situation. Parents need to support teachers to do what they do best – but often they need support, encouragement and information in order to do this. When it comes to parenting, education can be an emotive area and tact and diplomacy are needed on both sides.

“We know that research has consistently shown that what parents do with their children at home has an enduring and direct affect on attainment,[1] and the scale of this impact is evident across all social classes and all ethnic groups.

“We must begin to take the initiative to involve parents and to recognise that they are an important part of the partnership responsible for teaching children.”

She said the case for parental involvement is neither new nor exclusive: Ofsted commentaries and reports have long identified it as a key ingredient in an "invisible cocktail of factors" promoting achievement.

[1] Desforges, D., and Abouchaar, A. (2003) The impact of parental involvement on pupil achievement DfES Research Report 433