E-mail school reports considered

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/6214675.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Parents in England may get more frequent progress reports from their children's schools via e-mail or even mobile phones, the government says.

Ministers want to use new technologies to improve the flow of information between schools and parents.

They say research shows parental involvement is vital to children's progress, and want to go beyond traditional parent-teacher evenings.

They might also set up chatrooms to discuss the way local schools are run.

Education Minister Jim Knight has been investigating the issue. He is expected to make an announcement early in 2007.

But the increased use of technology could include: <UL><LI>school reports and regular updates on children's progress, extra curricular activities, attendance records and even homework over mobile phones, texts, secure internet sites, blogs, podcasts and e-mail<LI>school chatrooms for the local community to engage in how schools are run</UL>

This local forum idea would aim to complement what the Department for Education and Skills describes as "traditional monthly governor meeting arrangements".

A spokesman said: "We particularly want to see if we can use technology more to engage the 'harder-to-reach parents' so that they too can be more involved in their children's schooling.

"This isn't just about the middle classes getting an easier service. It is about finding new ways of engaging working people in what is happening to their kids during school time."

The infrastructure existed because of the investment in school technology in recent years.