Another point to consider is that there are differences in the level of parental involvement related to family socioeconomic context, particularly parental education attainment. Parents with higher levels of education tend to participate more than less educated parents. However, analyses carried out with TIMSS data (in 50+ countries) suggest that regardless of the level of parental education, all students benefit from a higher level of parental involvement in school activities (in terms of academic achievement). Therefore, strategies aimed at enhancing parental involvement are especially relevant in schools serving socially disadvantaged students, and should be tailored made to their specific context and needs. See http://goo.gl/n8y8pX

The interaction of parent with school is good if it is kept to a balance. However, too much of a good is not good and may result in negative consequences. This include the cold attitude of the school administrator, the resistive behavior of the teacher concerned, the child getting frustrated and depression due to frequent visit of the parent. So I suggest that there shall be a balance interaction with the school.

Based on my experience, having interaction between the parents and school is important. With this interaction, parents are informed about their children progress in the classroom. At the same time, parents also understand what supports they need to give to their children at home. For example, if the children is lack in Math, then the parents can work together with the children to solve some Mathematics lesson. In addition, the interaction between parents and school can also strengthen the relationship between the parents and the school to achieve the goals.

There is quite a bit of research that shows children are more successful when their parents are part of their education. Some studies have looked at teaching parents skills to use with their children at home to help with reading, behavior management, etc.

In some affluent communities in the US there are over-involved parents known as "helicopter parents" who want to micromanage their child's education. They have good intentions but their behavior ends up backfiring and actually hinders the child's learning. Then there are other parents that you never see and can never contact. I agree with the previous comment about balance. It is imperative that the parents and the teachers are working as a team.

Susan, I like the term you used 'The Helicopter Parents' with good intentions. Very good and the rightly used terminology. The effective course is always that of 'BALANCE'.

I think many schools have an aim for "parental involvement" without really considering what this means. Having parents come into the school to work with students sounds good and has some tangible benefits, but it is becoming more and more difficult to organise and adds to the workload of teachers. The difficulties arise in trying to schedule parent help (with many families already balancing busy work/family life/leisure schedules) and then planning something for them to actually do (parents are not trained teachers nor teacher aides so tasks need to be carefully considered). An added difficulty is the occupational health and safety concerns and procedures involved in having regular volunteers in the classroom (ie. volunteers must never be left alone with students, police checks must be undertaken etc.). I think that whilst having increased parental involvement in the classroom sounds great in theory, the practicalities mean a considerable increase in teachers' workloads.

I think the thing that most teachers would like to see is increased "interest" on the parent's part in their child's education. I completely agree with Susan in that children are more successful when parents take an active interest in their child's education. Technology is opening up so many doors for parents to take an active interest in their children's learning without having to sign up for the canteen or classroom reading roster. Schools that have online content management systems can show courses, homework, news, assignments etc. online and parents can gain full access. This is a great way to promote parental involvement in their children's education.

Another point to consider is that there are differences in the level of parental involvement related to family socioeconomic context, particularly parental education attainment. Parents with higher levels of education tend to participate more than less educated parents. However, analyses carried out with TIMSS data (in 50+ countries) suggest that regardless of the level of parental education, all students benefit from a higher level of parental involvement in school activities (in terms of academic achievement). Therefore, strategies aimed at enhancing parental involvement are especially relevant in schools serving socially disadvantaged students, and should be tailored made to their specific context and needs. See http://goo.gl/n8y8pX

Together with colleagues I worked on a literature review on parental involvement and the rol of teachers. We found parental involvement to be influential however we found different ways of measuring/conceptualizing parental involvement. Especially parental involvement at home was of influence on children's school 'outcomes' (both cognitive and socio-emotional). We also saw the importance of teachers' images / beliefs about parents and their involvement. THese beliefs are often based on parents showing or not at school while they may be very involved at home.

So to your question if it is important to increase the interaction level, my guess is that it is not so much important to increase it but to look at the 'quality and content' of the interactions. For example, talking to each other about mutual expectations is VERY important but almost never done. I think that if parents and teachers together see they serve similar goals, it will create trust and that may influence the level of involvement and the quality of the conversations ...

Dear Helma, Fayyaz, Iskandar, Susan, Professor Latchanna and Rebecca, thank you very much for the important contributions!!.

In most schoos in Swaziland parents are only interacting with the school when checking the children''s progress. I think parents can do more by being empowered on effective teaching and learning so that they can hep their children with academic work, and not to only to check if a child is passing or failing on the open day. There should active involvement of parents and guardians in the teaching and learning of their children

Dear Sindisiwe, thank you very much for the important contribution.

I think the 21st century has heralded a new educational dialectic in which parents play a central role. Of course, cultures vary but the principles and function of education invariably shares commonalities - to enrich, promoted the acquisition of knowledge and be part of a socially and emotionally enriching process. In western cultures, power dynamics have shifted away from schools and school staff as experts solely responsible for delivering a programme. Now, schools are not only mandated to engage productively with parents routinely but actively seek to do so. A sense of shared responsibility follows (or should). Of course, research repeatedly indicates that success can be predicated on parents' own level of education, world view and perceptions of education. With schools increasing being accepted in many areas as centres in the community, this can be made easier. Schools are no longer daunting places where mysterious things happen....

My own research and personal experiences inform me that parents will never increase their involvement in school if schools and teachers continue their business of dealing with parents and their children as usual. In fact I stopped picking the phone several years ago whenever I noticed that the call was coming from the school that my children attended. For all the years that my kids were in school, I never heard anything good from the school about them. Any time the school contacted me there was a problem with one of my kids. Which parent would like to be hearing only bad news about his or her kid and never anything good. Perhaps schools and teachers don't know that our kids behave better at school than at home and there's nothing new about what they tell us about our kids. The principal of the high school where my son attended left a message on my office phone when I was teaching that I should come to meet him in his office as soon as I received his message. I went to the school, and there I found my son sitting in the Principal's office with an envelope in hand. The Principal asked my son to give the letter to me and when I opened it, it read, "Your son has been suspended for 24 hours for bringing a cell phone to school in violation of the school regulation". Is that why you invited me to drive the 30-minute ride to the school ( I mused angrily in my mind)?The Principal then added that "your son said he carries the cell phone as a time-piece so I suggest to you that his next Christmas gift should be a wrist watch". On our way home, my son asked, 'how long have I been suspended?' I said "24 hours". And he said, 'why not at least 2 weeks, I don't want to be there any way.

So, what I'm really trying to carry across is how much parents detest attitudes of schools and their teachers who haven't learned in their teacher education about how to deal with parents.  From a study I conducted I realized that many of the parents don't in fact want to have anything to do with schools. Why not schools, once in a while tell parents about progress made by their kids or invite them to the school for something good instead of inviting them only to kick their kids out of school. Parents will start interacting better with schools if schools and teachers treat them and their children differently.