Records of ALPAG (All London Parents Action Group) and Parents Initiative

This material is held atInstitute of Education Library and Archives, University College London

Scope and Content

This collection covers two connected organisations: ALPAG (All London Parents Action Group) and Parents Initiative. Parents Initiative is a larger collective of parents groups, teachers organisations and trade unions, of which Liz Williams of ALPAG was a key co-ordinator.

The collection is organised into the following files:

General Organisational Material for ALPAG and Parents Initiative

ALPAG Newsletters and Campaign Materials

ALPAG London Parents Ballot Campaign

Parents Initiative Drafting Notes for 'Parent Governor' Pamphlet

Parents Initiative Campaign Materials

Parents Initiative Correspondence

Parents Initiative Meeting Minutes

Parents Initiative Contacts with Europe

Parents Initiative Surveys

Parents Initiative Seminar, 10 Mar 1990

Parents Initiative Campaign Against the 1994 Education Bill

Press Cuttings

Education Reform Bill and ILEA Showcase

Additional Materials for ALPAG and Parents Initiative

These files are comprised of correspondence; meeting minutes; handwritten notes; campaign ideas; publications (newsletters, pamphlets) produced by ALPAG, Parents Initiative and related organisations; surveys; reports; and press cuttings (newspaper and photocopies).

Administrative / Biographical History

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)

Access Information

Open

Open, subject to signature of Reader Application Form.

Conditions Governing Use

A reader wishing to publish any quotation of information, including pictorial, derived from any archive material must apply in writing for prior permission from the Archivist or other appropriate person(s) as indicated by the Archivist. A limited number of photocopies may be supplied at the discretion of the Archivist.

Appraisal Information

Needs to be appraised - multiple copies of several items within the collections