A review of the impact and success of Scottish legislation on the involvement of parents in their children’s education has been announced by the Scotland Education Secretary Angela Constance.
The review comes ten years after the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act was introduced, and will be led by the National Parent Forum Scotland (NPFS).
The announcement was made by Ms Constance during her speech at the NPFS annual conference.
She said:
“We know children achieve more at school if their parents are fully involved in their learning. That is why parental involvement has been identified as one of the key drivers for our National Improvement Framework for education.
“Our education system has evolved a great deal in the last ten years, with renewed focus on raising attainment across the country, and closing the gap in outcomes between the most and least advantaged children. It is right we review how we support and involve parents in their child’s education, to ensure the law and all related work are fit for purpose and serving parents and children well.
“The NPFS, who will conduct the review on behalf of Ministers, will speak directly with parents, schools and children to get their views on how parental involvement in education works in practice and how it can be improved. We will also be able to use the review findings to inform the on-going development and implementation of the National Improvement Framework. I look forward to considering the review’s conclusions.”
Iain Ellis, NPFS Chair said:
“We are delighted that the Cabinet Secretary is announcing the review at our parents’ conference on Saturday, and we look forward to working with Scottish Government and other partners to deliver this work.
“There is a need to look at the current framework for parental involvement in education, and provide a strong evidence base to show what currently works, and where improvement is needed. We need to ensure that all parents are fully informed and involved in their children’s school as well as in their education more broadly. We also hope that the outcomes of the review will support the parental involvement aspect of the National Improvement Framework.”
Maureen McKenna, Executive Director of Education, Glasgow City Council said:
“Parents and carers play a crucial role in the education of their children and in Glasgow we work very hard to engage with families. We very much welcome a review that will look at the legislation 10 years on.”