Parent power is “too weak” in new school councils, ran a TES Scotland headline of November 28, 1975, above a story which reported: Radical changes of attitude will be needed on all sides before school councils can be completely successful, said Councillor William McKechin, vice-chairman of Strathclyde education committee, on Saturday in Glasgow to the annual meeting of CASE Scotland (Campaign for the Advancement of State Education).
The indifference of most parents must, he said, be overcome. Parents sometimes cared about issues like catchment areas or the form of secondary education, but few of them usually turned up for meetings organised by headmasters.
Teachers as a profession held a position of dominance over the immature.
They were, like doctors, accustomed to working with people who were always at a disadvantage. The organisation of schools bred authoritarianism and paternalism. He hoped that constant contact with parents would help to change attitudes.
