Kelly: Parents must be at heart of school system
Giving parents more power to shape the school system is vital to improving education standards, Education Secretary Ruth Kelly said today.
Parents should be at the heart of the education system, and the range of schools they could choose from should be expanded, she added.
Speaking to a North of England conference, Ms Kelly said parental involvement should no longer be regarded with suspicion by teachers and governors.
Research published by DfES in 2003 showed that parental involvement in education was a more powerful force than family background, size of family and level of parental education, she said.
“That these parents do to support their children is not rocket science. Part of it is about doing the practical things like getting your child to school on time, ready to learn and making sure they understand that good behaviour is a given, not an option.
“But it is also about more than that. It is about reading with your child. Encouraging them to learn and aspire. Teaching them to value learning and understand the opportunities education brings. I believe all those things are the responsibilities of being a parent.”
Giving parents an increased choice would require an increase in the range of providers of education, she added.
“We need to establish strong diverse independently-minded local schools that play to their strengths and are responsive to meet the diverse needs of parents and pupils. That is why we need to accelerate the national roll-out of specialist schools, and give them greater freedom – as independent specialist schools – to respond to the needs of parents, pupils and local communities,” she said.
The general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) , Dr Mary Bousted, said that she was “delighted” that Ms Kelly had “recognised the class gap in achievement” but, “she needs to ask herself if enough is being done within the current policy framework to address this issue. Early intervention in supporting disadvantaged pupils and their parents is vital”.
She added: “We are pleased that Ruth Kelly has acknowledged that there are constraints to the choice agenda, but she must be aware that a government committed to improving social mobility would look at school provision across a town or city as a whole, so that every child is suitably placed, with the disadvantaged having favourable treatment. The present system favours the wealthy and articulate, and more ‘choice’ would mean more favours.”
David Hart, general secretary of the NAHT, said he “strongly supports the Secretary of State’s views on parental responsibilities. Too many parents take little or no interest in their children’s education, fail to support their schools when their children are violent or disruptive, and know all about their rights but precious little about their responsibilities.
“It is good to have a Secretary of State who is prepared to put the weight of her office behind head teachers who are seeking to raise standards in partnership with parents.”
