Understanding the space for parental voices in school governance

Abstract

In many countries, the role of parents in schools has been emphasized more in recent years and parents have been put forward as a central partner for the education system to cooperate with around children’s education. In this chapter, the focus is on whether parents’ voice is also acknowledged in matters connected to school governance. This is addressed through focusing on how formal legislation facilitates for parents’ possibilities to be involved at this level, how tensions to be found in the school–parent or teacher–parent relationship may cause challenges, and on how the structure of the education system itself represents a foundation that promotes or hinders parents’ role in school governance. Do parents have the opportunity to participate in the governance of educational institutions? Which processes may hinder such participation? The analytic intake in this chapter stems from Margaret Archer’s morphogenetic approach to social analysis, and specifically her use of the concepts of centralized versus decentralized education systems.