The impact of Parental Involvement on Children's Education 

• In particular, a father's interest in a child's schooling is strongly linked to educational outcomes for the child.
• Father's lack of interest in schooling is a particularly powerful and progressive predictor of lack of qualifications.

What about fathers and their involvement in their children's education?

Fathers play an extremely important role in their children's lives and a plethora of research indicates that father involvement is significantly related to positive child outcomes.

We know that fathers are often very involved in their children's lives. For example, fathers are often the main carers for children while mothers are working. Research states that, in 36% of dual earner families, after the mother it is the father, more than any other individual, who cares for children.

 Research evidence relating to fathers tells us that:

• Fathers who devote time to their sons are giving them a greater chance to grow up as confident adults. Boys who feel that their fathers devote time, especially to talk t them about their worries, school work and social lives, almost all emerge as motivated and optimistic men.
• Father involvement in children's education at age 7 predicts higher educational attainment by age 20, in both boys and girls.
• For boys, early father involvement protects against delinquency in later life.
• The involvement of fathers exerts an influence on children's positive attitudes to school.

Get hold of a copy of this publication and use it to illustrate to the court, the mother and the school (if necessary) why you, as a father, should be involved with your child's education.

The following small portions of text have been lifted from the 2003 Department for Education and Skills document The impact of Parental Involvement on Children's Education LEA/0339/2003 (available on DfES website www.parentcentre.gov.uk or from: DfES Publications, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annesley, Nottingham NG15 0DJ; by telephone 0845 6022260; by email dfes@prolog.uk.com