Education for a flourishing life, character education and family involvement in school education

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. Tradition and democracy come together in the right to education: parents are primarily responsible for their children's education and the state ensures that all citizens have access to school education. Family participation in school is one way to coordinate the roles, responsibilities and freedoms of educational agents. The objective of this study is to understand what role family participation plays in the comprehensive formation pursued by school education. This education promotes the development of personality or character. METHOD. We carried out a content analysis and a theoretical and descriptive reflection of the research into family participation in Spanish school education in the last five years. The bibliography was selected on the basis of the findings in the following databases: Scopus and Dialnet Plus. RESULTS. The current legal framework in Spain does not allow families to participate in decision-making on comprehensive education in schools; families become more involved in school education when they realize they can share the task of educating their children with the school. DISCUSSION. Parental non-involvement in the elaboration of the center's educational project, where comprehensive formation is concerned, can be an obstacle to their involvement; however, guaranteeing the opportunity for parents to actively adopt the contents of the integral formation of their children in all centers might produce greater parent participation. The free choice of school should not be the only way for parents to choose the aims and axiological contents in accordance with their convictions and in the interest of their children.