AS recent legislation goes, the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act was a solid idea. Parental involvement in a child’s schooling can greatly improve their progress and the 2006 Act was designed to encourage such involvement by imposing on councils a duty to develop a strategy on the subject as well as trying to encourage families from all backgrounds to serve on parent councils. As such, it was a promising attempt to change the way parents and schools interact.
However, on the question of whether the act has worked, the answer is mixed. Councils have had an obligation to create a strategy for greater involvement of parents for more than a decade but, according to a review commissioned by the National Parent Forum of Scotland, the implementation is patchy. Some councils have embraced the idea and their strategies are having an impact; others appear to be dragging their feet. The result is the dreaded postcode lottery in which parents and pupils receive a different service depending on where they live.
But perhaps even more concerning are the results of an Ipsos MORI Scotland poll commissioned by the forum which shows parents tend to be more involved during the primary years, but that a different story emerges at secondary. According to the poll, just seven per cent of parents had helped out with learning at secondary compared with a quarter in primary. Around a third also said their secondary did not support them to continue learning at home, other than homework.
To some extent, this drop-off of parental involvement is understandable – the subjects children study at secondary are more advanced than primary and it can be intimidating for parents.
However, parental involvement in secondary is just as important as it is at earlier stages and both parents and schools have a role to play in encouraging it. For parents, it is about finding the confidence to get involved. As for the schools, it is about helping parents get involved by ensuring they have a greater understanding of what is being taught and how they can provide help and support.
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