'I used to tell parents they were bad parents'...Wilshaw says [Archive]

FloraDora

25-01-2014, 11:13 AM

Appalling, judgemental and possibly counter productive

Is this how we should encourage parents to be more responsible for their children's upbringing?
Should we have neighbours knocking on peoples' door to ensure children are up and ready for school? or is there another way?

BBC News - Ofsted boss: Pay 'good neighbours' to help problem families (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-25842196)

Who decides who is a 'good' parent?
What is the criteria for a 'good' parent? Watch out for future 'outcomes' that parents work towards!

Unfortunately I do get where MW is coming from though.
In my other life I have had neighbours/ friends volunteering to take children to school as they were concerned about their attendance ( I may have unintentionally encouraged this as I was constantly highlighting effect on ch and school when they are late/ have a high absence rate)
Lots of times a parent would pop their head round my door and let me know that their friend's LO hadn't had breakfast, not to tell tales on the parents, but because they knew we would ensure the child had a quick breakfast at school.

I found that friends and neighbours would look out naturally for each other. In areas of deprivation there is often high mental health issues and everyone was attuned to each others low signs and step in to help without judging ...it is called a community helping each other but not being judgmental.

I would never say someone was a 'bad' parent as this would not resolve any situation for a child but I often said " It is your responsibility as a parent to..."

I hear his 'tough message' order, but in most situations getting to the bottom and resolving the family issues works better....Ian Duncan Smiths think tank has completed loads of research on this that MW is just ignoring and Owen Jones has a lot to say on this subject too....linked with low unemployment, low self esteem. Most parents don't mean to be 'bad' they usually find themselves in certain situations that they can't cope with, support and help from the right children's service is the answer.....oh but the government are withdrawing funding from most of these...!!!!

Point of information : MW took over a school that had closed......reopened it months later with huge amount of extra funding and set such stringent rules that a lot of the original pupils did not return ( Sat schooling, longer school days, etc..) then got praised for 'turning the school round' - research shows it wasn't the same school, same pupils same budget and therefore did not have the issues that the original school on the site had) easy way to build up your reputation, don't help the children from disfunctional families, tell them they are bad and just ban them from your school or make them feel so uncomfortable they leave - so another HT has to support them.
( A research project I was involved with after the riots around Cameron's 'broken Britain' agenda and the lack of listening and twisting things and only highlighting what fits your argument ...then putting together a welfare agenda that didn't help many, has made me quite cynical )
Here endeth my rant for today.....