Iceland: Home–school cooperation in Iceland: characteristics and values

This chapter shows that the organisation of the home–school relationship in Iceland is similar to that in other Nordic countries. The supervisory teachers play a leading role; this is rewarding but very time-consuming, and some of the youngest teachers find it challenging. The factor that best predicts parents’ satisfaction with their child´s school was whether parents got special support because of educational or behavioural difficulties for their child at school if they felt it was needed. Findings also showed that social factors like parents’ educational background were influential, and single mothers were overrepresented in the group of dissatisfied parents. Findings from new research presented in this chapter imply that equity as a core value in Icelandic schools is disputable, and that parental involvement must be critically discussed if the aim is shared responsibility of students’ welfare and education.