ABSTRACT
Primary education is one of those services in which the co-producers are not (only) the clients themselves, but other individuals responsible for their well-being—in this case the parents. This chapter examines the different types of parental contributions and their potential effects on the parent-teacher relationship, as well as conclusions that can be drawn from existing research. Despite the importance of the partnership between parents and teachers for the academic achievements of pupils, it has received little attention in research. This stands in stark contrast to the empirical knowledge on the school-led partnerships, in which schools are driving the parent-teacher partnership. When comparing the position and role of teachers in school organizations in the 1990s with today's context, we can observe some major differences. Due to changes in the school organization, new governance structures and a stronger control of professional work, teachers increasingly have to cope with an ongoing process of rationalization and formalization.
