Julia Skinner, retired-headteacher and vociferous blogger lifts the lid on an unpleasant phenomenon creeping into some parents’ attitudes to schools… So, do you or anyone you know think of the school as somewhere to ‘put’ the children rather than a source of enriching education?
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s recent speech caught my eye especially with his list of things schools and teachers are not:
“We already expect our teachers to be social workers; child psychologists; nutritionists; child protection officers. We expect them to police the classroom, take care of our children’s health; counsel our sons and daughters. Guide them, worry about them. And, on top of that, educate them too.
“When you consider that list, it is phenomenal that so many rise to the challenge. But it is too much to ask. Teachers are not surrogate mothers and fathers; they cannot do it all.”
As a retired head teacher I’m glad someone has identified all the ‘other’ roles teachers are playing. They are all vital and every school will do what it can for each child. More often than not the staff will take on these other duties rather than spend time putting children through a system that may take weeks to get them to the appropriate specialist.
This got me thinking about the roles parents want schools to have. I’m sure the majority of parents reading this will say, “we want you to teach them to read, write, be numerically competent and enjoy learning”. There will be list of other things too I know but what about those parents who are really looking for child-minding?
My headships were in an area of social deprivation. Many homes were ‘workless’ where a number of the adults had not worked for years and didn’t have any aspirations for their children. They saw school as a place to send the little ones to get a bit of peace each day.
They had no concern or interest in what they did all day and could certainly not envisage helping in any way. Children would be brought to school when it was convenient and there was never a message if they were absent.
There were also working parents who had not thought through the implications of not being around during the day. Now I am in no way suggesting that parents shouldn’t go to work – absolutely not! However, it needs careful thinking and organising so that in those occasional emergencies there is someone to come and collect the child rather than them being looked after the school.
If you were a head teacher, what would you say to those parents who see you as someone providing child care rather than an educational professional trying to educate their children?
--by Julia Skinner, www.theheadsoffice.co.uk
