Speaking at a conference on fair access and school admissions, he said: "Local authorities could be better at communicating with parents. Admissions forums were created to do that but it's not always happening."
Derek Emmings, director of the fair access division at the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) told the Local Government Information Unit event that government has a duty to give disadvantaged parents the chance to discuss admissions policy.
"The problem of getting the parents we want involved in discussions will always be there. I can't make parents act in a certain way," he said.
Local authorities have been obliged to hold admissions forums since 1998. Forums are intended to give parents the chance to discuss admissions policies with local authorities.
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