Teachers must confront bad parents

"The Times is reporting that the chief inspector of schools has said parents should be fined if they miss parents’ evenings, fail to read with their children or allow homework to go undone…"

"Sir Michael Wilshaw said that teachers must confront "bad parents" who do not support their children’s education as he accused white working-class families of no longer valuing education as a way to improve their family’s prospects."

"Children with immigrant parents outperform poor white British children in the classroom as many hold a deep cultural belief in the importance of doing well at school, he added."

"Sir Michael’s comments, in an interview with The Times, will provoke anger from poverty campaigners who say that poor families are least able to pay fines and that their children would suffer. However, he said that too often deprivation was used as an excuse for low achievement."

"Drawing on his own experience as a head teacher at inner London schools, he said: "I was absolutely clear with parents; if they weren’t doing a good job, I would tell them so. It’s up to head teachers to say quite clearly, ‘You’re a poor parent’."

http://schoolsimprovement.net/fine-parents-who-dont-read-to-children-says-schools-chief/