Parents of classroom troublemakers should have to help schools crack down on bad behaviour, report finds
20 December 2024, 00:01
Parents of badly behaved children should have to work with schools to fix the problem, a report has recommended.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Schools should be able to escalate concerns to other agencies on "safeguarding grounds" when parents refuse to co-operate, according to a paper from the think tank set up by Sir Tony Blair.
The report from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) came amid warnings of bad behaviour in classrooms after the pandemic.
It has called for a "reset" of the parent-teacher relationship in England's schools, warning that poor behaviour is "crushing learning outcomes" and driving teachers out of the profession.
The government should make fixing the behaviour crisis in schools an "urgent priority", the paper from the former Labour prime minister's think tank said.
Read more: Tributes paid as boy, 6, dies in sleep after school sent him home with 'bump' on head
A teacher tells Tom Swarbrick why he's "shouting at an empty room"
The report said: "Schools should be given the power to compel families to come to the table and agree an action plan when a pupil's behaviour becomes severely disruptive.
"Where families refuse to engage, teachers need to be dealt a stronger hand.
"If parents fail to attend disciplinary meetings or engage with an action plan, schools should be able to escalate concerns to other relevant agencies on safeguarding grounds.
"The government should consider if any legal powers similar to those used to address repeated absence without a good reason should apply when parents refuse to co-operate repeatedly and without substantive grounds.
Caller's ‘borderline genius’ son educates himself by watching TV and listening to LBC
"Schools should also be given a stronger statutory role in driving multi-agency working, with powers to convene, co-ordinate and lead meetings where appropriate."
Parents in England face higher fines if they take their children out of class without permission this year as part of a government drive to boost attendance since the pandemic.
But the report said teachers currently cannot compel parents to attend meetings if they have concerns about their child's behaviour.
Alexander Iosad, acting director of government innovation at TBI, said: "Today's report shows that teachers are powerless and unsupported to tackle a rising epidemic of disruptive and dangerous behaviour.
"We must shift the balance of authority back in favour of teachers and give them the support they need."
Education Secretary says support for SEND students is the 'number one challenge' schools are facing
He added: "Let's be clear; this is not just a challenge, it is a safeguarding issue.
"Schools should therefore become statutory partners in safeguarding and should have the authority to compel parents and other agencies like the police, NHS and social services to come together and agree an action plan.
"Only by giving teachers the power to address poor behaviour not just in the classroom but at its source will we be able to keep teachers in the profession."
Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said many schools are "experiencing challenging behaviour" from students and the issue appears to have worsened since the pandemic "when normal behaviours and routines were disrupted".
He added: "The idea of giving teachers a statutory authority to force parents to engage is certainly novel, but we would be concerned that such a policy would create a significant additional burden on schools and exacerbate tensions with parents.
"Instead, we need to be looking to create conditions that allow schools to work together constructively with parents, as well as external agencies where necessary, in the best interests of children and young people."
