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• Nearly a third of parents feel excluded by their children.
• Only 16% of children proactively talk about their school day.
• Children admit they want to keep 'hassling' parents away from school life.
• 82% of parents want schools to keep them better informed.

The majority of parents admit they don't know as much about their child's day at school as they would like, according to a new report commissioned by Becta, to support its Next Generation Learning campaign. 

The survey of 1,000 children aged between seven and 14 years and 1,000 parents, reveals that 43% of parents admit they find it either difficult or very difficult to extract information from their child about their day at school.

Parents are not alone in facing this communication challenge: almost half of children (44%) don't like sharing information with their parents, they like to keep their school day private; and over a third (37%) of children say they find it quite or very difficult to speak to their parents about their education.

Becta has commissioned child psychologist, Professor Tanya Byron, to explore the issue further and offer simple, practical solutions to help improve and enhance communications between parents, children and schools using technology in addition to more traditional methods.

Communication crisis

According to Professor Byron, this inability or unwillingness for parent and child to communicate might have implications which will hamper a child's progress, creating stress between the parent-child relationship and creating tension between parent and school as the packed school itinerary gets 'lost in translation'.

The report shows that while more than 90% of children say their parents are interested in their education, the majority of parents are struggling to get involved with their child's learning, with many finding it difficult to get information on what is actually happening once their child is at school.

Despite packed lesson plans and innovative use of technologies, the research reveals that just 16% of children proactively communicate with their parents about their school day.

The report also reveals that the vast majority - 82% - of parents want schools to keep them better informed of their child's progress at school, indicating there's a need to improve communication on two levels.

Parental anxiety

This lack of communication leads nearly a third (31%) of parents to feel 'excluded' which can then lead them to 'hassle' their children for information – almost a quarter (24%) of children questioned said they felt under pressure from their parents to talk about their school day.

According to Professor Byron, frustrated and anxious parents who aren't getting the information they require then push their children to communicate even more vigorously, creating a battle ground between parent and child.

Technology matters

For over ten years, Becta has been leading the national drive to ensure the effective and innovative use of technology throughout learning. The benefits of technology in schools are two-fold: making lessons and learning more enjoyable and successful, whilst also keeping parents better informed and involved with their child's learning.

If your child's school is on the ball, engaging with them through technology should enable you to:

• keep track of your children's work, curriculum and homework assignments
• view their reports, attendance records and grades at any time of day that suits you
• keep in touch with teachers and other staff via email and text messaging.

Becta's Next Generation Learning campaign is urging parents to talk to their child's school to find out how technology is already being used and also discuss ways it can help improve day-to-day communications between them and the school in the future.

Professor Tanya Byron comments:

"This report highlights how fundamental positive communication within and after school hours can help raise attainment and build a child’s sense of self-worth. By creating a collaborative, three-way dialogue between parents, school and children; by harnessing the new and exciting technologies that enable seamless communication between school and home; and – most importantly – by involving children in after school communication that is fun, relaxed, open and well timed, we can all help them to maximise their academic potential and enjoy their school and further education years."

Stephen Crowne, Chief Executive of Becta, said:

"Becta believes passionately that the effective use of technology both in schools and at home is hugely rewarding for learners and allows parents to become more involved in their child's education. Many schools across the country are already using technology in innovative yet practical ways to communicate with parents – from communicating with parents via text messages, to online reporting and lesson planning. We'd encourage any parent wanting to find out more about how technology could help them communicate better to start talking to their school to find out what is on offer, and visit the Next Generation Learning website."

Notes to editors

A full copy of the report is available for download at the Next Generation Learning website.

About Next Generation Learning

The Next Generation Learning campaign will enable you to take charge and use technology to its full potential - if you're a parent, it lets you get fully involved in your child's education; if you're a learner, it lets you learn how, when and where you want; and if you're an employer, it helps you train your workforce efficiently and effectively.