PARENTS are reluctant to get involved in their children’s learning once they begin secondary school amid fears they will tell them the wrong thing, research has shown.
A poll by Ipsos MORI Scotland found just seven per cent of parents helped out with learning at secondary compared with a quarter in primary.
And around one-third said their secondary school did not encourage or support them to continue their child’s learning at home, other than doing homework.
Reasons for not getting more involved included lack of knowledge of school topics and uncertainty over modern teaching techniques.
“It was common for parents to feel unsure about their ability to understand some of the work their child was doing as they got older,” the report said.
“This meant that they felt uncertain about how to help their child, worried that they would teach them the wrong thing.”
The research found families were much more likely to attend formal meetings such as parents’ evenings as well as sports days or fundraising events.
The findings are part of a review of the 2006 Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act by the National Parent Forum of Scotland.
The act placed a duty on councils to develop and implement a parental involvement strategy.
However, the Ipsos MORI report found there was “substantial variation” between the approaches taken by different local authorities.
It said: “While local authorities followed the 2006 guidelines, very few of the strategies available online were up to date, had details of how or when they would be reviewed, had evidence of parent consultation or had clear objectives.”
Researchers also raised concerns about the composition of parent councils warning that there was a gender imbalance with more women taking part than men. Parents from disadvantaged backgrounds were also under-represented.
Joanna Murphy, chair of the NPFS, said it was vital parents had as much involvement in their children’s education as possible.
Research has already shown that families’ engagement has a greater influence on children’s attainment than aspects such as their socio-economic background or previous educational attainment.
Mrs Murphy said: “There was confusion and a general lack of understanding among parents and staff about the difference between homework and the concept of learning at home.
“Not all parents felt schools were engaging in meaningful consultation and they want more information on the topics their child is learning and how these are taught.
“Parents would benefit from support to help them become more comfortable in engaging with learning activities and further work is required to engage parents across the secondary years.”
The forum report concluded that the act had made schools more open and transparent with parents having greater involvement in their child’s learning and improved relationships.
However, important challenges remained with a lack of awareness among some teachers of the role and contribution of parents.
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