How to harness 'parent power'

Research has shown that schools that work well with families benefit from higher teacher morale, more support from the parents, better reputations, and better academic records than other schools.

In his study, Frans Borg makes a number of recommendations on how educators and parents can build a relationship of trust and mutual respect. These are just a few:

Schools should work harder to improve their communication with parents through various activities such as open days, newsletters, letter circulars, parents' days, reach-out programmes and other initiatives.

Communication with parents - whether about school policies and programmes or about their own children - should be frequent, clear and two-way.

Parents should be welcome in school informally throughout the day, whether individually or in groups, as well as formally in school decision-making bodies that would also have a say in the school development plan and school policies. Mr Borg also suggests that a room be allocated for parents' use.

The school should encourage volunteer support and help from all parents by providing a wide variety of volunteer opportunities including those that can be done from home and during non-working hours.

A school-home liaison officer should be engaged to strengthen parent education, develop support through home visits, design group sessions and hold work-shops and courses taught by experts.

Schools should recognise that they can help parents provide a home environment conducive to children's learning.