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Abstract: The article presents the results of a study of the views of parents on modern school (n = 1520). The questionnaire designed to interview parents was developed by teachers and staff at the Ural Institute of the Humanities, UrFU. The data is grouped in the following content blocks: teachers’ and parents’ views on school aims and objectives in education and upbringing; challenges to effectiveness of school education; the attitude of parents towards the organization of teaching and other activities of school. Comparative analysis of the answers of parents and teachers allowed to identify the similarities and differences in their views of the school aims, factors that negatively affect the quality of education and the level of educational outcomes. Both parents and teachers consider that the school's priority objectives are transfer of deep knowledge and development of students' abilities. However, parents set a pragmatic goal of enrolment in university, and teachers regard development of a highly educated person as the aim of school. Parents consider that the main factors negatively affecting the quality of education and the level of educational outcomes are the low level of abilities and weak motivation of students, management of the education system and poor organization of the educational process. Teachers name the other factors that hinder education, among them are low parents' interest in the quality of their children's education and low level of the students' abilities and motivation. Thus, teachers assign responsibility for the effectiveness of school education primarily to the family, and parents assign it primarily to school. The assessments given by parents to the quality of school services allowed describing the state of parents' satisfaction with various aspects of school activities. Parents are most satisfied with the educational process, the least - with medical care.