In this article, we put the spotlight on the topic of parental engagement to support school success. This year, the European Commission published a policy brief on the key role of parents in school success, as part of its Working Group on Schools, under the European Education Area Strategic Framework.
Parental engagement refers to the involvement of parents, carers and families in children’s educational processes, whether it is at school or at home. For parents, carers and families to be more involved in children’s learning, there needs to be authentic partnerships with schools in which parents are active co-educators. The document also points out the importance of building mutual trust and shared responsibility between parents, carers, and teachers, where everyone understands and acknowledges each other’s role in the upbringing and education of children.
Parental engagement matters. While it can foster more supportive learning environments, research has also shown discussing school matters at home and cultivating high expectations are essential to promote academic outcomes and wellbeing. It is thus important to empower parents and carers, especially those coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, and ensure they feel confident and knowledgeable enough to support their children’s learning.
However, there are several barriers to parental engagement. Disadvantaged and margnialised families can be harder to reach due to potential negative past experiences with school – some of the challenges include: linguistic and cultural differences, as well as low confidence in interacting with educators. Time constraints and parental stress also need to be acknowledged as barriers to parental involvement, for instance when there is a lack of employer flexibility or when school meetings take place during working hours. Single-parent families and families caring for multiple children or children with disabilities are also at greater risk of not being able to engage actively in their children’s learning. Teachers also face key challenges, particularly a lack of training for more junior teachers, and insufficient and ineffective communication with parents and carers.
In the policy brief, the European Commission has highlighted several good practices for parental engagement in school success:
- In Finland, the NEUVOLA programme integrates family literacy support into preventive health and early childhood services. There, families receive guidance specific educational aspects before children start school. This is a good example to build trust and capacity among parents and carers.
- In France, the Pôles d’Appui à la Scolarité brings pedagogical, psychological, social, and health-related support closer to schools. There are specialised professionals working both with schools and families to provide personalised support. This practice shows how schools can work as community hubs in which families are integrated.
- In Ireland, the Home School Community Liaison coordinator is a staff member bridging the gap between home and school: their main role is to facilitate collaboration between school professionals and families, and help create relationships. This practice shows the importance of developing dedicated structures and roles.
- In Malta, The Institute for Education provides flexible, needs-based initial and continuing teacher education, including modules on inclusion, parental engagement, and learner support. The modules are based on a variety of topics and take into account working with diverse families and communities. This practice shows how focusing on professional development and support is a key element to support parental engagement.
Along with these best practices, the European Commission recommends, among others, to develop targeted support for families, especially those facing barriers to participation, as well as to strengthen teacher capacity for family partnerships.
Strengthening parental engagement is not solely essential for improving school success, but also for building more inclusive and supportive education systems for all children.
