A report commissioned by Becta in 2009 found that 82% of parents are left 'in the dark' when it comes to their child's schooling.

As a software specialist working in the education sector my organisation has addressed the subject of parental engagement by developing a management information systems (MIS) which focuses on putting the learner at the heart of the system, facilitating personalised learning in a positive engaging way.

One of the main benefits of online access is for parents to view information on their child’s work and progress. The school can contact parents through the inbuilt email facility or send text or voice alerts to parents’ mobile or landline phones.

At home, parents can be better informed about their child's education and participate in the learning process through access to performance data, school activities and homework, whilst their child can login to remotely engage in lessons and complete and return assignments electronically.

In summary, pupils and parents can…

• Support learning by access to personal learning plans and schemes of work.
  
• View timetables.
  
• Use attendance and performance records to boost motivation.
  
• Receive and send homework, assessments and relevant comments.
  
• Communicate with school regarding academic and non-academic issues.
  
• Remotely access the system to aid learning anytime-anywhere.
  

I hope this has given some insight into some of the ways technology can help enable parents to get closer to and support their child’s learning.