Parents' evenings could be replaced by the Interweb
SCHOOL PARENTS' evenings could become a thing of the past, replaced with online reports and text messages, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls said yesterday.
Balls told a gathering of the Parent Know How programme that research shows parents prefer informal chats with teachers rather than parents evenings and want to be able to moinitor their children's progress online.
Only one in five parents thinks parents evenings a good idea, according to the reasearch.
Mr Balls said parents, "tell us they like informal contact with their child's school - whether that's a chat in the playground or the chance to go online and see their teenager's marks and make sure they're going to all their classes."
He said parents' evenings would become less important.
As it happens, part of the Parent Know How programme is the idea of giving parents more information through the Web or by phone and text messaging. The scheme has government backing to the tune of £44 million.
Children's minister Kevin Brennan said: "All parents need a bit of help sometimes - and the best way to get that advice may be by text message or in a chatroom. We want to reach out to parents who may not normally ask for advice or might not know where to go."
SCHOOL PARENTS' evenings could become a thing of the past, replaced with online reports and text messages, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls said yesterday.
Balls told a gathering of the Parent Know How programme that research shows parents prefer informal chats with teachers rather than parents evenings and want to be able to moinitor their children's progress online.
Only one in five parents thinks parents evenings a good idea, according to the reasearch.
Mr Balls said parents, "tell us they like informal contact with their child's school - whether that's a chat in the playground or the chance to go online and see their teenager's marks and make sure they're going to all their classes."
He said parents' evenings would become less important.
As it happens, part of the Parent Know How programme is the idea of giving parents more information through the Web or by phone and text messaging. The scheme has government backing to the tune of £44 million.
Children's minister Kevin Brennan said: "All parents need a bit of help sometimes - and the best way to get that advice may be by text message or in a chatroom. We want to reach out to parents who may not normally ask for advice or might not know where to go."