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17/06/2014
Ofsted Chief: 'Bad Parents' Should Be Fined
The Chief Inspector of Schools Sir Michael Wilshaw said head teachers in England should be given the power to fine parents who fail to support their children's education.
Mr Wilshaw says parents who allow homework to be left undone, miss parents' evenings or fail to read to their children should be punished.
He said: "It's up to head teachers to say quite clearly, 'You're a poor parent'. I think head teachers should have the power to fine them. It's sending the message that you are responsible for your children no matter how poor you are."
Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, has hit out at Mr Wilshaw's remarks. She said: "Not satisfied with the endless criticism of teachers, Sir Michael Wilshaw has now turned his attention to parents. What he fails to recognise is that poverty can have a huge impact on the lives of children and their parents. It is a plain fact, not an excuse. It is also a fact that behaviour issues in school are not the sole responsibility of poorer children and their families.
"Schools do work hard to overcome the disadvantages that some children experience as a result of their background. Fining parents, however, for not participating in their children’s education in a manner that suits the head teacher is not the answer. This could very easily tear apart what can often be a fragile relationship between the school and the parent or carer and certainly will not benefit the child."
(CVS/CD)
Mr Wilshaw says parents who allow homework to be left undone, miss parents' evenings or fail to read to their children should be punished.
He said: "It's up to head teachers to say quite clearly, 'You're a poor parent'. I think head teachers should have the power to fine them. It's sending the message that you are responsible for your children no matter how poor you are."
Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, has hit out at Mr Wilshaw's remarks. She said: "Not satisfied with the endless criticism of teachers, Sir Michael Wilshaw has now turned his attention to parents. What he fails to recognise is that poverty can have a huge impact on the lives of children and their parents. It is a plain fact, not an excuse. It is also a fact that behaviour issues in school are not the sole responsibility of poorer children and their families.
"Schools do work hard to overcome the disadvantages that some children experience as a result of their background. Fining parents, however, for not participating in their children’s education in a manner that suits the head teacher is not the answer. This could very easily tear apart what can often be a fragile relationship between the school and the parent or carer and certainly will not benefit the child."
(CVS/CD)
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