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Ofsted chief's suggestion that errant parents should be fined not welcomed Ofsted chief's suggestion that errant parents should be fined not welcomed
(about 7 hours later)
Sir Michael Wilshaw's suggestion that headteachers and principals need powers to fine errant parents who fail to attend school meetings or help their children with homework has met with a lukewarm response from unions and teachers' representatives.Sir Michael Wilshaw's suggestion that headteachers and principals need powers to fine errant parents who fail to attend school meetings or help their children with homework has met with a lukewarm response from unions and teachers' representatives.
Wilshaw, Ofsted's chief inspector, said in an interview with the Times that heads needed to demand more from parents, saying: "If parents didn't come into school, didn't come to parents' evening, didn't read with their children, didn't ensure they did their homework, I would tell them they were bad parents.Wilshaw, Ofsted's chief inspector, said in an interview with the Times that heads needed to demand more from parents, saying: "If parents didn't come into school, didn't come to parents' evening, didn't read with their children, didn't ensure they did their homework, I would tell them they were bad parents.
"I think headteachers 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.""I think headteachers 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."
Wilshaw said the issue wasn't about income or poverty: "Where families believe in education they do well. If they love their children they should support them in school." Wilshaw said the issue was not about income or poverty: "Where families believe in education they do well. If they love their children they should support them in school."
The National Union of Teachers general secretary, Christine Blower, 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."The National Union of Teachers general secretary, Christine Blower, 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."
Headteachers' unions were wary of backing Wilshaw's suggestions, saying that an aggressive relationship between schools and parents would not necessarily solve the problems he wants to address.Headteachers' unions were wary of backing Wilshaw's suggestions, saying that an aggressive relationship between schools and parents would not necessarily solve the problems he wants to address.
The deputy general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Malcolm Trobe, said schools ultimately need parents onside, and that there was a difference between challenging parents and confronting them.The deputy general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Malcolm Trobe, said schools ultimately need parents onside, and that there was a difference between challenging parents and confronting them.
He said: "It's important for schools to engage with parents, and to tell them what the school expects from parents in support of their child's education. There needs to be a positive relationship.He said: "It's important for schools to engage with parents, and to tell them what the school expects from parents in support of their child's education. There needs to be a positive relationship.
"We're not convinced that fines would actually help, because that's a coercive system to force parents to engage. We're not sure that heads want to be in a position of fining parents for children not completing their homework. That doesn't help anyone.""We're not convinced that fines would actually help, because that's a coercive system to force parents to engage. We're not sure that heads want to be in a position of fining parents for children not completing their homework. That doesn't help anyone."
Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, which represents mainly primary school senior staff, said he was sceptical that the use of fines would change behaviour. Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, which represents mainly primary school senior staff, said he was sceptical that the use of fines would change behaviour: "If these parents were making rational calculations about the pros and cons of their actions, they wouldn't be undermining their children's education in the first place. Fines will risk being ignored and unpaid, costs risk being passed on to the children themselves, reinforcing the cycle of poverty."
He said: "If these parents were making rational calculations about the pros and cons of their actions, they wouldn't be undermining their children's education in the first place. Fines will risk being ignored and unpaid, costs risk being passed on to the children themselves, reinforcing the cycle of poverty."
Hobby said that punitive measures such as fines could be used as a last resort, but were unlikely to solve a complex problem such as parental involvement. "Outreach into troubled families is critical – visiting them, discovering the barriers and building trust. None of these will be helped by an adversarial climate," he said.Hobby said that punitive measures such as fines could be used as a last resort, but were unlikely to solve a complex problem such as parental involvement. "Outreach into troubled families is critical – visiting them, discovering the barriers and building trust. None of these will be helped by an adversarial climate," he said.
Wilshaw also said part of the problem lay with "white British children who do worst of all in the system. If we are going to catch up with the best nations in the world we have got to close the gap between white British low-income children and other ethnic groups."Wilshaw also said part of the problem lay with "white British children who do worst of all in the system. If we are going to catch up with the best nations in the world we have got to close the gap between white British low-income children and other ethnic groups."
The education secretary, Michael Gove, recently said that he was again considering plans to fine parents – through benefit cuts in some cases – for truancy and misbehaviour. The education secretary, Michael Gove, recently said he was again considering plans to fine parents – through benefit cuts in some cases – for truancy and misbehaviour.
The Department for Education has also toughed rules on absence during term-time, with escalating fines being levied on parents who take their children out of school without permission. The Department for Education has also toughened rules on absence during term time, with escalating fines being levied on parents who take their children out of school without permission.