Getting communication
up-to-date for parents - informal contact now favoured over parents evenings
DEPARTMENT FOR
CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES News Release (2008/0083) issued by
The Government News Network on 7 May 2008
Ed Balls,
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families has today
published research showing parents want even more involvement in
their children's education - and prefer informal chats with
school staff instead of parents evenings.
The research shows half of all parents feel very involved their
child's education - up from just 29 per cent in 2001 - and
the majority (65 per cent) want to get even more involved.
Parents now see informal discussions with school staff as the
most useful way of finding out about a child's progress.
Since 2001 the proportion of parents who see parents evening as
the "most useful" way of communicating has dropped from
43 per cent to 19 per cent.
Speaking at Parent Know How event in central London Ed Balls will
also set out plans to consult with parents within the next month
on a range of issues to help them play a full part in their
child's education.
Ed Balls said:
"We know parents are increasingly involved in their
child's education - and want to do even more. But for many
its a difficult balancing act to juggle work, childcare and
quality family time and still be able to help their children with
homework and keep track of how their child is doing at school.
"Parents tell us they like having informal contact with
their child's school - whether that's a chat in the
playground or the chance to go online and see their
teenager's latest marks and make sure they are going to all
their classes.
"I believe parents evening will always play an important
role - but in today's complex world we need to help parents
keep up-to-date in the way and at a time that suits them. And it
is in everyone's interests for parents to be in the know when
things start going wrong rather than being given a bad report card
out of the blue at a termly parents evening.
"So in the next month we will be asking parents to tell us
how they want to be involved. We have already said we want all
children to have personal tutors and for parents to have access to
online information by 2010 - but its vital we get this right and
that will only happen if we get the views of those who matter most
- parents themselves."
The Parent Know How event is designed to showcase new and better
ways to offer support and advice to parents. The programme, worth
£44M over three years, is designed so more parents can get access
to information and help through the web, over the phone and text
and instant messaging.
It has a particular focus on meeting the needs of parents of
disabled children, fathers from all backgrounds and parents of
teenage children. Research shows that these groups especially can
struggle to access the information and support they need.
Kevin Brennan, Children and Families Minister, said:
"All parents need a bit of help sometimes - and the best way
to get that advice may be by text message or in a chatroom. We
want to reach out to parents who may not normally ask for advice
or might not know where to go. In the modern world the problems
parents face are not the same as the ones their parents faced. We
need to make sure the advice is up-to-date - but also keep up with
the new ways people communicate."
In the Children's Plan the Government outlined plans to set
out and consult on a new relationship between parents and schools
and legislate if necessary so that:
* parents will be contacted by a staff member at secondary school
before their child starts school;
* parents will be able to attend transition information sessions
preparing them for what to expect at the new school and the new
life stage their child is entering;
* every child will have a personal tutor who knows them in the
round, and as a main contact for parents;
* parents will have regular, up to date information on their
child's attendance behaviour and progress in learning;
* Parents Councils will ensure that parents' voices are
heard within the school; and
* parents complaints will be managed in a straightforward and
open way.
Key findings in the Parental Involvement in Children's
Education survey are that:
* Around half (51 per cent) of parents feel 'very
involved' in their child's school life, a noticeable
increase from 29 per cent in 2001, and 38 per cent in 2004. In
common with previous years, work commitments were perceived as the
main barrier to further involvement.
* There has been a moderate shift in parents' attitudes away
from a child's education being the school's
responsibility, towards it being more equal or mainly or wholly a
parent's responsibility.
* Three in four parents (73 per cent) say it is 'extremely
important' to help with homework, and this has hardly changed
since 2001.
* Parents were generally very positive towards information
provided by the school such as information provided about their
child's progress (86 per cent said their child's school
provided clear information on this) and the school being welcoming
to parents, (92 per cent said it was).
* Parent's see communicating with schools through
'informal discussions with school staff' as the most
useful way of finding out about a child's progress. This
follows a noticeable decline since 2001 in the number who said
Parents Evenings are the most useful method (from 43 per cent in
2001 to 19 per cent in 2007).
* The survey findings show many sub-group differences, but some
of the strongest impacts and most consistent differences have been
found in respect of parents of children identified as having
Special Educational Needs (SEN).
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The Parental Involvement in Children's Education (PICE)
2007 survey involved a telephone survey of 5,032 randomly selected
parents of children attending state schools. Similar surveys have
been carried out in 2001 and 2004. This year absent parents were
included for the first time.
2. It is available at:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR034.pdf
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