Joint press release from SPTC and SSBA

SSBA and SPTC reject the Scottish Consumer Council’s proposals for a new national parents’ body

The Scottish Consumer Council’s paper on proposals for a new national parent body for parent councils makes a valuable contribution to the discussion but reflects the fact that they do not have an active and ongoing involvement with parents in schools. Understandably, they take a “consumer” view of services.

In contrast SSBA and SPTC both have proven track records of meeting the needs of school parents through the provision of advice, information, training and support; and by giving voice to the parental position to policy-makers and the press.

On the back of this experience, both SSBA and SPTC would argue that the way forward is for the new national body to be a membership organisation, focusing firstly on the needs of parents, on helping the new parent councils to get established and on providing them with the necessary advice, training, support and information. SSBA and SPTC, each from their own perspective, reject the model for a national body proposed by the Scottish Consumer Council.

Said Caroline Vass, President of SSBA, “It is for the new parent councils to decide what they want the new national body to look like and to take ownership of it in exactly the same way as, previously, PTAs and school boards set up their own national bodies.”

Judith Gillespie, Development Manager of SPTC added, “Parents need an organisation that is theirs; an organisation which first and foremost is there to help them and answer their questions. They value the friendly voice at the end of the telephone that really understands what its like to be a parent and how hard it can be to cope with school issues.”

For more information on the SCC report go to:
www.scotconsumer.org.uk
For more information on the SSBA (Scottish School Board Association), go to our "Links" page