Schools should open their doors to parents on an informal basis to help develop links between home and school and reduce truancy levels, research in one London borough has found.
Research commissioned by Camden Council looked at the lower levels ofprimary school attendance among Somali and Bengali children. Itdiscovered parents can find the education system mystifying and teachersintimidating. The study highlighted the importance of gettinginformation on the education system to parents.
The research by Tavistock Clinic and the Kentish Town Somali WelfareAssociation also recommended forging closer links between schools, homesand community centres as a way to tackle truancy.
- www.camden.gov.uk.
