Scottish government parental involvement plan commits to improving engagement with fathers

Ian Maxwell

The action plan was launched by Deputy First Minister John Swinney who said that it sets out a vision for parental engagement for the next three years and promises to “raise the bar yet higher”, by supporting every parent and family on their “educational journey”.

The government will work with Fathers Network Scotland and Families Need Fathers Scotland to ensure that all key guidance and training materials relating to parental involvement and engagement are “father friendly”, fully reflect the role of dads, and reflect the principles of father-inclusive practice.

It will also work with local authority partners and parents to consider and address barriers which may prevent separated parents from being involved and engaged.

Families Need Fathers Scotland national manager, Ian Maxwell, said: “We have worked hard over the years both to help separated parents build a productive relationship with their children’s school and equally to convey to schools that separated parents are too often an untapped resource in support of their children’s learning.

“We are delighted that the action plan is so clear in its expectation that schools must become more parent-friendly, more father-friendly and more separated parent-friendly. We will do whatever we can to assist in that process.

“We will continue to raise with Mr Swinney and with CoSLA the imperative that the system of pupil enrolment forms must be overhauled. They should ensure the contact details of both parents are included and given equal status. The existing practice of giving only a limited list of ‘entitlements’ to non-resident parents should stop. The practice is not rooted in any educational benefit to the children and is fundamentally discriminatory.”