Engaging The Next Generation of School Parents
By: Mark McCrindle
The educational landscape is continually evolving, and with each new generation, the dynamics of parent-school engagement shift.
Engaging today’s school parents begins with understanding them. While the Builders (born 1925-1945), Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), and Generation X (born 1965-1979) continue to have influence, Generations Y and Z will emerge as the dominant parental cohorts over the next decade.
Generation Y (born 1980-1994, aged 31-45 in 2025) are largely the parents of Generation Alpha (born 2010-2024). This generation has significantly invested in their education and has been shaped in an “always-on” work culture. They are the first generation to grow up with the internet and smartphones as parents, leading to blurred work/life boundaries. When considering new employment, Generation Y highly values flexible working hours, convenient location, and an accessible and approachable leader. The qualities they prioritise in a leader include clear communication, approachability, and integrity/accountability.
Generation Z (born 1995-2009, aged 16-30 in 2025) were schooled in a social media age and grew up in an era of diversity and inclusion. Labelled by some as “The Anxious Generation,” they bring a global perspective and have had unparalleled agency through the online world from their teenage years. For Generation Z, the most important factors when considering new employment are accessibility and approachability, learning and development opportunities, and career progression opportunities. They seek leaders who are approachable, clear communicators, and demonstrate empathy.
Realities for Today’s Parents and Barriers to Engagement
Our research reveals a crucial reality: while parents desire involvement, they are often time-poor. Currently, three-quarters of females aged 30-34 are employed (77%), which is double the rate of 1971 (38%). Furthermore, over half of couple families with children under 15 years (52%) report “always or often feeling rushed or pressed for time.” This reality underscores the importance of flexibility for these parents, particularly for Generation Y, who, as noted earlier, highly value flexible working hours in their professional lives. Schools can recognise this by providing flexible options for parental involvement, such as a variety of timeslots for important events and meetings.
This evolving context, marked by information overload and digital distraction, highlights a profound shift in parent engagement from previous generations. Despite these pressures, our study shows a strong desire for involvement: a substantial 83% of parents consider practical involvement in their child’s schooling to be extremely or very important.
However, several barriers impede effective parent engagement. The primary barriers identified by parents include:
- Lack of time due to work or other commitments (36%)
- Work schedule conflicts with school hours or activities (33%)
- Family responsibilities that limit availability (26%)
Additional Barriers Encompass:
- Limited communication or information from the school about opportunities (21%)
- Uncertainty regarding how to get involved (15%)
- Difficulty accessing school events (15%)
- A perception that involvement is not valued by the school (15%)
Only 15% of parents reported no barriers to involvement, while a minority (5%) indicated they do not believe practical involvement is necessary. Notably, non-government school parents (20%) are twice as likely as government school parents (10%) to identify administrative effort (e.g., obtaining a Working with Children’s Check) as a barrier.
Schools can respond to these barriers by developing robust parent engagement strategies that alleviate influenceable barriers, such as ensuring clear communication regarding opportunities and minimising administrative burdens. For the strategies to resonate, they should align with the digital fluency and information expectations of Generations Y and Z, who anticipate accessible and often immediate updates and efficient processes.
Shifting Parental Expectations: From Contributor to Consumer?
Our research identifies a subtle but significant shift from a ‘contributor’ to a ‘consumer’ approach to education. While 37% of parents and 32% of educators perceive the relationship as a true partnership, half view it as a ‘collaborative partnership’ where the school takes the lead (51% parents, 52% educators). For some educators (15%), the reality leans more towards a transactional relationship.
Parental expectations for regular feedback are growing significantly. Current parents are twice as likely to anticipate daily updates on their child compared to 2019 (15% today vs. 7% in 2019). This escalating demand for real-time information reflects the digital fluency of these generations; particularly Gen Y’s ‘always-on’ culture and Gen Z’s upbringing in the social media age, where immediate updates are the norm. This indicates that traditional biannual parent-teacher interviews are unlikely to suffice for future parents, highlighting a clear need to rethink feedback mechanisms.
Regarding responsibility for fostering various aspects in children, parents in 2025 largely perceive instilling values and beliefs (63%), enforcing discipline (62%), and character development (61%) as entirely or mostly their responsibility. However, compared to 2019, parents are less inclined to view themselves as entirely or mostly responsible for these areas. Schools that can find ways to reframe this consumer mindset and foster a sense of genuine partnership are more likely to have a highly and positively engaged parent community (see our 2024 report Building Thriving School Communities for more on the ingredients of a thriving parent community).
Leadership Response: Develop a Robust Parent Engagement Strategy
Looking towards 2035, creating strong, meaningful partnerships with parents is crucial for fostering a learning environment where students thrive. Developing a robust parent engagement strategy, one that enhances trust, communication, and collaboration within the school community, is therefore a key consideration for effective leadership. This strategy must specifically acknowledge the evolving characteristics and expectations of Generations Y and Z parents, supporting their desire for involvement while mitigating identified barriers, and adapting to the subtle shift in the parent-school dynamic, to truly position schools for success over the decade ahead.
Developing insight-driven engagement strategies helps schools bridge the gap between parental desire for involvement and the realities of modern family life.
Article supplied with thanks to McCrindle.
About the Author: McCrindle are a team of researchers and communications specialists who discover insights, and tell the story of Australians – what we do, and who we are.
Feature image: Canva
