SNP cooks up a new plan for struggling schools... ask parents to help out
PARENTS are to be asked to help schools with everything from decorating and DIY to cooking and modern languages.
A new national action plan has been published setting out how the Scottish Government will encourage parents to get more involved in the running of schools.
It will include a drive to ‘widen volunteering opportunities’ to ‘make it easier for parents, families and wider communities’ to help out in areas such as cooking, IT, sports coaching and DIY.
But opponents warned that parents should not be expected to be ‘picking up the slack for teacher shortages’.
It has previously been revealed that some school headteachers have written to parents asking if they can help teach mathematics.
Liz Smith, education spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives, said: ‘I’m glad the SNP is finally acknowledging the key role parents have in a child’s education. Some of these proposals will not only help children’s learning, but also be of benefit to the parents.
‘But it’s clear this cannot be allowed to develop into a situation where par- ents are picking up the slack for teacher shortages and financial challenges.
‘We know schools across Scotland don’t have enough staff and it’s not the job of parents to fill those vacancies.’
Education Secretary John Swinney yesterday launched the three-year action plan on ‘parental involvement, parental engagement, family learning and learning at home’.
It includes a pledge to explore ‘practical, effective ways to make it easier for parents, families and wider communities to volunteer in early learning and childcare settings or schools’.
Schools quango Education Scotland has previously urged parent councils to carry out surveys on the skills mothers and fathers could bring to schools.
A prompt provided for the survey said: ‘There may be things that you already do at home, cooking, DIY, sewing or craft activities, gardening, decorating.
‘There may be skills that you use at work; IT skills, typing, web design, catering. You may have interests or hobbies, sports activities, or arts and music skills or interests that you could share.’
The plan also proposes ‘Parent Clubs’ to help ‘build parents’ confidence in how to adopt learning activities into their daily lives’.
It says ‘a positive attitude to maths can help to support children’s progress in numeracy’, adding: ‘Drop-in classroom sessions, tailored courses on numeracy learning for parents, numeracy cafés, bedtime maths sessions, video and social media updates, and evening sessions at school with pizza and hot chocolate are all common methods employed to foster an appreciation of the value of maths and confidence in learning together.’
Last year, as she struggled with a shortage of maths teachers, Bev Leslie, head teacher at Blairgowrie High School – in Mr Swinney’s own constituency – urged ‘any parents with a maths or related degree who would be interested in supporting our pupils in the short term’ to get in touch.
Trinity Academy in Edinburgh also sought parental help last year with subjects such as maths, science, technology, business and home economics.
Mr Swinney yesterday announced £350,000 of funding to support his plan for more parental support.
‘Picking up the slack for teacher shortages’