Teachers Are Not Parents

Over the past several years I have noticed that most of the poorly behaved and under performing students come from parents that have little to do with their kid's education.  An article by Mary Bousted from The Observer stated, "We have, as a nation, to do more and to do better in our duty of care to our children."  Some parents drop their kids off at school and expect the teachers to raise their kids for them.  When there are problems at school with their child, the parents blame the teachers for it.  There have been reports from The Observer that "parents often come into school and threaten staff and some staff have been attacked by a pupil's parents."  Mary Bousted goes on to say, "Schools do not exist in a vacuum.  If they are to succeed, then more parents have to put more effort into their parenting and into creating the conditions in which their children come to school ready and willing to learn."  Teachers are not their students' parents and they shouldn't have to be.  If education is really to improve in this country, then the parents are the ones that will make it happen.  The Observer article is linked below.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/apr/05/children-social-skills-parenting