TheParagon-Education

'Parents to Blame' for Problems in UK Schools

Teachers have launched a devastating attack on parents, accusing many of failing in their responsibilities and undermining schools.
Children are now arriving at school socially undeveloped, increasingly unable to dress themselves, unable to use the toilet properly and unused to eating at a table, Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, writes in today's Observer. Instead of taking responsibility themselves, too many parents expect teachers to control their children's behaviour and wellbeing, she adds.
Bousted cites one mother who blamed staff when her 14-year-old daughter became pregnant and another when she discovered that her 16-year-old son was smoking cannabis.
The union leader's attack, which will be underlined at the ATL's annual conference in Liverpool this week, comes as research reveals that children and parents are becoming increasingly confrontational with teachers. A survey of members to be published tomorrow found that nearly two in five had been confronted by an aggressive parent or guardian.
Her Observer article says the problem is not children living in poverty; most come from homes with televisions, computers and games consoles. What they do not have "are adults who are prepared to give their time and energy doing that most difficult but essential of jobs, raising their children properly".

The union, which has members in both state and independent schools, says parents are letting children rule the roost at home and then expect schools to discipline them. At the same time parents are undermining the authority of teachers.
"We know that far too many children are behaving badly at school, even to the point of being violent to staff. This is horrifying enough, but it is hard to be surprised since many are just mirroring their parents," Bousted writes today. "My members tell me that parents often come into school and threaten staff."
Recent incidents included a father who had encouraged his child to start a playground fight and a parent who had provided a raw egg for a pupil to crack over a teacher's head.
Children may be starting to read and count when they arrive at school, but too many lack the social and verbal skills to be able to take part in lessons and behave well, Bousted adds. "We are in danger of becoming a nation of isolates, of families living separate lives under one roof. The bedroom, once a place to sleep, has become the living space for the young, spending hours in front of computer screens, on social networking sites or immersed in computer games. Children and young people often spend little time with their parents and siblings."
Young people will not learn how to behave as social beings if they are stuck in front of television programmes such as Skins, Hollyoaks and Big Brother, she says. "Teachers report that many pupils are exhausted at the start of the school day, tired out from viewing unsuitable programmes or sitting in front of the computer screen until late into the night or the early hours of the morning," writes Bousted.
She received support yesterday from other union leaders. Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said some parents thought their responsibility for children's behaviour ended at the school gate and were undermining teachers trying to enforce discipline. "Where pupils have been persistently disruptive you get a percentage of parents who will take the side of the child, regardless of the evidence, and that causes difficulties and can lead to a refusal to teach."
Justine Roberts, a co-founder of mumsnet.com, called for co-operation rather than warfare between parents and teachers. Parents were under tremendous pressure to do many things, she said, including earning enough money to support their families and to follow all the directives coming down from the government.
"We've got to read an hour a day to our children, make sure they have five fruit and vegetables and make sure they watch no more than 20 minutes of TV. Parents are being bombarded with statistics and criticism from all directions and we need to understand that children are the responsibility of all of us. Instead of promoting this culture of blaming each other, we should be supporting each other," Roberts said.
She argued that it is hard to meet a parent who did not want their child to succeed at school. "Talking together is the most sensible way of going forward, working out why we work so hard and how we can make more opportunities for flexible working to free up time for the family."

A lack of boundaries at home is fuelling naughty behaviour in the classroom, teachers have warned.

Schools are being forced to deal with the fall-out of parents failing to set rules for their children and a breakdown in family life, according to the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL).

A new survey, conducted by the union ahead of its conference, also suggests that behavioural and emotional problems, attention seeking and a dearth of positive role model are contributing to bad behaviour in schools.

Teachers have been forced to deal with youngsters - in some cases pre-schoolers - pushing, scratching, punching, kicking and spitting, the poll suggests.

More than half (53%) of the school staff questioned said student behaviour has worsened in the last 10 years, with a similar proportion (53.2%) indicating it has got worse in the past five years.

At the same time, there has been a rise in the numbers of children with emotional, behavioural or mental health problems, the survey suggests, with over half (55.5%) saying they have seen an increase in the last five years.

Many of the school staff questioned laid blame for poor behaviour on parents.