The digital revolution is in full swing in education, having grown exponentially during the pandemic. We now have packages that will streamline our processes, liberate us from the tyranny of our daily toil and emancipate us from face-to-face connections.

And now it seems that councils will be harnessing this brave new technology to eliminate the need for “live” parents’ meetings in schools - but if we choose to go down that road, we will forever lose something that is fundamental in education.

Of course, there are some benefits to moving parents’ meetings to cyberspace: no more stuffy halls with people coughing and sneezing all over each other, more convenience for parents who struggle to get time off work for early evening appointments, and staff being able to avoid those late-night commutes home - especially in the dreary winter months.

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Indeed, there are a fair few issues that could be dealt with in one fell swoop. Many teachers admit that they sometimes feel intimidated by the probing questions that some parents pose or by that parent who just wants to wax lyrical about their precious offspring.

There will no doubt be money saved too: heating and lighting in schools can be switched off as swathes of staff choose to work from home and less petrol will be guzzled by the cars of stressed parents trying to fit meetings into their already hectic schedules.

Digital solutions will grease the wheels for us all. Got a parent that won’t shut up? Don’t worry, the session is on a timer and will boot them off as soon as their allotted minutes are up. Don’t want to carry that heavy bundle of exemplar work to the hall? Technology will allow you to take the briefest of snaps to screenshot and share with those parents with poor bandwidth.

But before we go patting ourselves on the back for this excellent and efficient use of technology, let me prick the collective conscience a little: online meetings will never be as effective as face-to-face meetings.

Online meetings, like remote teaching, may tick some boxes. But, sadly, some teachers see parents’ meetings as a transaction: a mere download of information. It is actually a chance for teachers to see where their pupils are coming from and it is a direct opportunity to discuss and iron out any issues arising with the learning. For parents, it is a chance to actually meet the people who have the daily responsibility for their children. There is so much more nuance in a face-to-face conversation and less room for misunderstanding than in a quick web chat.

Perhaps teachers think that because they have had to move into the fast track with the digital world, parents should too. Maybe they think that parents are more likely to come on board if they only need to give the school five minutes of their time once a year. But there will be countless people who do not have the devices, the data or the confidence to go online with their child’s teacher.

Teaching isn’t just about relationships with pupils, it’s about winning the hearts and minds of parents and carers. With them on board, there is increased goodwill and a greater chance to make a difference in the lives of the children we all care about.

So by all means, go ahead with online meetings and forge on into the brave new digital age - but don’t kid yourself that we are doing anything other than making superficial connections, paying lip service to partnership working with parents.

If we do away with in-person parents’ evenings altogether, we will have lost something special - and something that we will never get back.

Sammy McHugh is a secondary teacher in Scotland. She tweets @MsSammyMcHugh