Involving Parents in the School: Tips for School Councils

Introduction

Parents play a vital role in the development and education of their children and in the success of schools.

Parents are the most important influence in a child's life outside of school. Long after direct learning from parents in a child's early years gives way to formal education, parents continue to play a key role in student success through the attitudes they help to shape and the direct supports they provide.

Research clearly indicates that good schools become better schools when there is a strong connection with parents as part of the learning community. The positive results of a genuine partnership between parents and schools include improved student achievement, reduced absenteeism, better behaviour, and restored confidence among parents in their children's schooling.

School Councils have a unique role to play in bringing parents and schools together in partnership. As parents and community members themselves, School Councils provide an important bridge between school staff, parents, Home and School Associations and other parent groups that may be active within the school community.

This brief guide is designed to provide School Councils with practical and effective ideas for building parent engagement in schools. In it, you will find a wide variety of tips and techniques that can be used to stimulate discussion and generate activities appropriate to your particular school and parent community. You will also find a convenient checklist to help you evaluate your efforts in communicating and reaching out to parents.

The activities you choose to undertake need not be complex or overly time-consuming. It is important to keep in mind that even a modest effort to engage parents can often pay huge dividends for parents, for staff and for every student.