A new unit is focusing on helping increase parent and carer engagement in their child’s schooling.
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said the new Student and Parent Experience Directorate within the Department of Education is developing a range of initiatives through consultation and an evidence base which shows a shared responsibility for learning is a key factor in maximising student success.
“We know parents are a key ingredient to school success. Students perform better at school when their parents are engaged in their education,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Each family and school context is unique, and parent and carer engagement varies based on needs, interests, cultural or socio-economic factors.
The main function of the Student and Parent Experience Directorate is to design and deliver high quality experiences that put our students’ and parents’ diverse needs at the centre of decision making.
Key priorities for the unit include:
- Developing a student engagement framework
- Establishing an independent, alternative dispute resolution body for complaints.
- Creating resources for schools to send regular SMS messages to parents, following a successful behavioural insights trial that increased parent engagement by 5 per cent.
- Partnering with Department of Communities and Justice to support advocacy for families of students with a disability.
“The student engagement framework will draw upon best practice to support these processes and make them even better,” Ms Mitchell said.
