Sir Michael Wilshaw, head of Ofsted has claimed mothers and fathers should be made aware of the importance of attending parents evenings as part of their parental responsibilities.
Ofsted’s chief has also admitted he wished he had the ability to go as far as to fine parents when he was a headteacher if they did not appear to care about their children’s education: “I’d have loved to have had the legal backing to fine parents who didn’t support the school, but that’s a long way off I suspect.”
He added that underprivileged family backgrounds were often used as a reason for children to neglect their school work: “It’s not about income or poverty. Where families believe in education they do well. If they love their children they should support them in schools.”
Referring to his previous experiences as an inner-city school headteacher, Wilshaw told the Times: “I was absolutely clear with parents; if they weren’t doing a good job I would tell them so.”
He believed that fining should be introduced as a last resort for families who are not contributing to their children’s education: “I think headteachers should have the power to fine them (parents). It’s sending the message that you are responsible for your children no matter how poor you are.”
His comments followed an indication from the education secretary, Michael Gove, that parents will face “stronger sanctions” if they do not make sure their children regularly attend school and behave appropriately, potentially in the form of benefit deductions.