Alison Kershaw, Press Association Education Correspondent, 5 November 2009

Parents are taking a back seat in their child’s education, with almost two thirds saying they have little contact with their youngster’s teacher, a survey found today.

Over one in five (22 per cent) of parents say they do not see the benefit in keeping in regular contact with their child’s school, according to a poll by the government’s technology agency Becta.

Two thirds of teachers (67 per cent) said these parents do not realise how important their support is in helping their child to succeed at school.

More than one in five teachers (22 per cent) feel they do not have enough contact with parents.

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Niel McLean, The Independent, 5 Nov 2009

Parental engagement is vital to a child’s learning and known to help raise attainment. Good communication with schools enables parents to learn more about their child’s progress, lesson plans and grades whilst also helping to identify any development or performance issues early on.

But, despite the number of communication channels available – from parents evenings to emails, after-school meetings to online reporting – a new report from Becta, launched today, indicates that misunderstandings, a lack of confidence and unclear communication channels are putting this at risk, with many parents becoming virtually ‘invisible’ to schools.

A key finding was that over half of parents admit to little contact with their child’s school, often once a year or less.

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