IN THE run up to this year’s general election, much was made of the Government’s promise to put parent power at the heart of its third-term education policy. The phrase seems full of promise, but how, exactly, does Ruth Kelly, the Education Secretary, propose to give parents more say in their children’s education? And what can parents do now to make sure school is working for their child?

The Education Secretary’s critics are quick to point out that parent power is a vague phrase, yet to be fully explained by the Government. So what can we glean, so far, about what changes to expect? The Department for Education and Skills talks about, “improving parents’ engagement with schools”.

One way this may be achieved is by giving more power to school governors to raise complaints and trigger Ofsted to act. At a conference in March, Kelly said that the Government wanted teaching tailored to the needs of individual children and parents allowed more say in what their children are taught. There are plans for bright pupils to take GCSEs and A levels early, and more choice for pupils of 14 and up.

Allowing parents a wider, choice of schools is seen as central to the drive. But with more concrete plans yet to be spelled out — a schools White Paper is due in the autumn — some wonder if parents really are getting closer to more control over their children’s schooling.

Laura Warren of the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations (NCPTA) welcomes moves to engage parents with schools, but has some misgivings about the Government’s current tack: “Parent power is not a phrase we find respectful to teachers. We want fruitful partnerships between schools and parents. We represent more than seven million parents, but the Government didn’t seek the opinion of our members on how relations between schools and parents could be improved. I’m not sure how parent power is going to be made a reality.”

So how can parents get more say? The NCPTA says: “PTAs are one of the best ways a parent can engage with a school, and are involved in more than just fundraising. Joining one is a good way to make your voice heard on issues such as homework and school rules.”

Since June 2000 parents are also able to become involved at local authority level: parent governor representatives, who sit on local authority education committees, are elected from serving parent governors.

Parents who would like to see their child getting more tuition in a subject, or working in smaller groups, Warren says, can be proactive in helping their schools to provide it.

“The Government has talked about tailoring tuition for each child, but where is the money that will pay the extra staff needed to do this during the school day? In the meantime, if parents want to see their children doing more maths, or music, then after-school clubs can help to bring changes about.”

Another central plank of parent power is more parental choice of school, which is underpinned by a plan to replace 200 struggling secondary schools with privately backed academies by 2010.

But John Bangs, head of education at the National Union of Teachers, says parents are wrong if they think such changes really will increase their control over their child’s schooling. “The Government’s plans will mean choice for the few who can afford to make use of it, In the end, the majority suffer.”

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