Parents demand better school communication

McCrindle’s research reveals rising communication expectations and the need to move beyond traditional reporting to foster genuine school partnerships.

• 78% of Australian parents experience challenges with school communication, with nearly 1 in 3 (29%) frustrated by only being contacted when there is a problem.
• 55% of parents value social and emotional updates equally to academic results
• Two-thirds of parents (66%) expect an email response within 24 hours, with 21% looking for replies on the exact same school day.
• 26% of parents struggle with too many apps and platforms, while traditional printed notices and regular newsletters rank lowest in value.
• 97% of parents want to attend school events, but 58% choose after-hours events specifically to watch their child perform or showcase work.

Australian parents now expect regular communication rather than occasional report cards and annual interviews

According to a nationwide study, parents value updates on their child’s social-emotional wellbeing just as much as academic progress (55% each). However, schools are falling shortest in this area, creating the largest gap between what parents expect and what schools deliver. 

Communication Gap: High Parent Expectations Meet Digital Fatigue

Used to quick responses, two-thirds of parents (66%) expect schools to reply to emails within 24 hours. Even so, 78% experience communication issues – mainly because schools only reach out when something goes wrong (29%) and parents feel overwhelmed by digital platforms (26%). Direct email is the preferred channel (50%), while broad newsletters and printed notes are increasingly failing to reach busy families. 

Parents Prioritise Personal Belonging in School Life

While 97% of parents want to attend school events, busy schedules force them to prioritise personal connection – like seeing their child perform (58%) or getting private updates (49%) – over routine information. For over half (51%), true belonging simply means teachers personally knowing their child. This connection is noticeably stronger in non-government schools, where parents report higher levels of community belonging (78% vs. 62%) and genuine partnership (66% vs. 53%). 

School leaders must cut down on app/platform overload, share proactive positive updates rather than just problem alerts, and build genuine two-way communication. Otherwise, schools risk treating parents like customers instead of active partners in student success. 

This media release is based on the report “Communicating with today’s parents”. The survey was completed by Australians aged 18 to 80. Respondents who were parents of school aged students (n=1,000) were included in the study. The survey was in field from the 12th to the 26th of February 2026.