Parents Initiative was a forum for national parent, teacher and governor organisations. It was created in 1986 to establish working relationships between groups interested in promoting a well-resourced, publicly-funded and accountable education system for all children.
Preliminary discussions for Parents Initiative took place in the spring of 1986 between parent groups, other interested parties and trade unions. By June 1986 the contact between parent groups and the teacher organisations had evolved sufficiently for Parents Initiative to be launched, with a press conference on the 24th of June, and a belief that 'resources should be available to guarantee every child a quality education'. the intention was that there should be regular meetings to discuss the resourcing of education and other matters of common interest, and to campaign for improvements. Groups involved included NCPTA, CASE, NAPE, NAGM and the six teacher organisations.
PI was run on a voluntary basis by members of various parent groups. Its expenses were met by contributions from member groups.
ALPAG was also founded in 1986 to campaign for better resources in schools. It did a publication for London parents called 'Schoolwatch' - 2 issues a term and reported on developments in schools in the capital.
Below is a list of contemporary organisations who either worked with or corresponded with ALPAG or Parents Initiative:
Secondary Heads Association
Parents in Partnership (PIP)
Parents Fight for Education
Campaign for State Education (CASE)
National Campaign for Nursery Education (NCNE)
Barnet Parents
Campaign for Equal Access to Primary Education for All (CEAPEA)
National Association of Governors and Managers (NAGM)
National Union of Public Employees (NUPE)
National Union of Teachers
Hackney Parents Centre
The Career Teachers' Organisation (NASUWT)
ILECC
National Association for Primary Education (NAPE)
Association of University Teachers (AUT)
Hounslow Early Years Group
National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations (NCPTA)
School & Home In Partnership (SHIP)
National Association of Nursery Nurses (NANN)
Sex Education Forum
Association For All Speech Impaired Children (AFASIC)
Human Scale Education
National Playing Fields Association (NPFA)
Directory of Social Change
The University & College Lecturers' Union
Professional Association of Teachers
The Association for all Heads and Deputies
Local Schools Information
Assistant Masters and Mistresses Association
National Confederation of Parent-Teacher Associations
All Dorset Parents Action Group (ADPAG)
Put Additional Resources into Education Now for Today’s Schoolchildren (Parents)
