Parental and Stakeholder 'Voice' in Schools and Systems

With the expansion of education, the growth of the middle class and their awareness of the nexus between educational opportunities and socio-economic success, countries have come to perceive parents as stakeholders in, not just the recipients of, education. With the growing stakes involved, the need to have parental agreement on the broad lines of educational reform has become a more pressing political objective. This article suggests that it is important to examine 'voice' in the context of these broader trends as well as in the specific context of assessing whether education is becoming more 'demand-led'. It examines the exercise of 'voice' in schooling at the 'micro' level of schools and more broadly in the extent to which school systems at the macro level encourage the expression of diverse educational demands.
Alongside the formal opportunities and encouragement of parental participation, the practice reveals problems and limitations. In some countries parents tend to believe that the issues on which their engagement is sought are the relatively simple, practical ones rather than fundamentals, and that there may even be active discouragement of parental involvement. Evidence in some countries worryingly suggests that the level of parental interest is not high. There are the familiar equity questions to consider arising from inequalities in parental interest/involvement.