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Good parents 'should be rewarded' Good parents 'should be rewarded'
(10 minutes later)
Parents who spend quality time with their children should be rewarded through the benefits system, head teachers' leaders have said. Parents who spend quality time with their children should be rewarded with throug the benefits system, head teachers' leaders have said.
Steps such as fining parents over their truanting children rarely worked, National Association of Head Teachers president Clarissa Williams argued. Punitive steps like fining parents for truanting children rarely worked, National Association of Head Teachers president Clarissa Williams argued.
She also quizzed the logic of insisting young mothers work while their children are brought up by others.She also quizzed the logic of insisting young mothers work while their children are brought up by others.
A more creative approach was needed, she told NAHT members in Liverpool.A more creative approach was needed, she told NAHT members in Liverpool.
Ms Williams said at her association's annual conference that she had twice written to the prime minister questioning the rationale behind "a punitive approach to ineffectual parenting".Ms Williams said at her association's annual conference that she had twice written to the prime minister questioning the rationale behind "a punitive approach to ineffectual parenting".
'Listen With Mother''Listen With Mother'
She asked: "Why do we feel the need to send children into an educational environment at the age of two?She asked: "Why do we feel the need to send children into an educational environment at the age of two?
"Are parents so distrusted that we want to separate them from their children at the earliest opportunity?""Are parents so distrusted that we want to separate them from their children at the earliest opportunity?"
She said "real communication" took place at mealtimes around the table, "without the TV and the video games".She said "real communication" took place at mealtimes around the table, "without the TV and the video games".
She recalled the "good old days" when mums sat in at schools while their children enjoyed the stories of Listen With Mother on BBC radio.She recalled the "good old days" when mums sat in at schools while their children enjoyed the stories of Listen With Mother on BBC radio.
Her association heard stories of "little ones" in early years centres who were not able to sit still because they were so over-stimulated "or just plain tired because they did not get put to bed early enough," she said.Her association heard stories of "little ones" in early years centres who were not able to sit still because they were so over-stimulated "or just plain tired because they did not get put to bed early enough," she said.
Ms Williams called for a benefit system which provided incentives for good parents.Ms Williams called for a benefit system which provided incentives for good parents.
"What I would like to see is a benefits system that would reward parents for engaging with schools, for example, that could be linked in some way to the benefits they get," she said. "What I would like to see is a benefits system that would reward parents for engaging with schools - that could be linked in some way to the benefits they get," she said.
Perhaps parents who spent time reading to their children, going to school parents evenings or helping out in their school could get higher payments, she suggested. Perhaps parents who spent time reading to their children, going to school parents evenings or helping out in their school, could get higher payments, she suggested.
She acknowledged it was a complex area and that there would always be some parents that would be hard to reach. She acknowledged it was a complex area and that there would always be some parents that would be hard to reach, but that did not mean it should not be tried.
"But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try," she said. "We all know what good parenting is, and in fact unless we actually show that and reward that in ways that people see the rewards, which - let's be honest - financial rewards are quite important.
Head teachers were reluctant to instigate "parenting orders" as they did little to improve home-school relationships, she said. "I think in the long term it will be less expensive in a society, than one which is forever paying out when things go wrong," she added.
Head teachers were reluctant to instigate "parenting orders" as they did little to improve home-school relationships, she added.