Parents want Facebook for teacher chats

PARENTS and teachers would like to be able to communicate with each other in less formal situations, such as through social evenings or social networking sites, a new study has revealed.

The YouGov research, commissioned by Tesco for Schools and Clubs to mark the launch of this year's scheme in Edinburgh, says the majority of parents speak to their child's teacher once a term.

A total of 83 per cent said their main contact with teachers is at parents' evenings, while 61 per cent said it was through a note passed on by their child.

Twenty-two per cent of parents would like to be able to text or correspond with their child's teacher over social media networks such as Facebook. And just under a quarter of teachers and 14 per cent of parents also wanted socials without children, such as coffee or bowling sessions.

Josh Hardie, Tesco head of corporate responsibility, said: "It's not just parents and teachers in Edinburgh who are embracing the digital age and pursuing less formal lines of communication, social media are part of the daily lives of tech-savvy children."