If this has already been discussed, I apologize in advance

[Bobbisox]

http://www.guardian.c...-school-strike-pupils

who is actually to blame here, the parents?
or the Head Teachers, maybe their hands are tied and they want to have a good Ofsted report,

[jackthehat]

The most important thing in 'any' contract is the parties willingness to be bound by it.

Those parents who are happy to sign the contract and abide by it right up until the time when their little darling falls foul of it are showing their children some pretty unhealthy attitudes to life.

[andy-hughes]

We are experiencing the results of a generation of parents who have no parenting skills.

If a child is taught repsect at home, that will carry on into school. Sadly, far too many children are not taught the basic concepts of behaviour, only their 'rights', but not their responsibilities.

Mt wife is an ex-head, now a Schools Inspector, and has said many times that the famous phrase - 'Give me the child until he is seven, I will give you the man' is absolutely true.

I recall she told me about two of her pupils from a deprived inner-city school where she was Deputy Head - who were bound for trouble in later life. They are now in their twenties, both are in prison, one for murder.

Discipline has to be the heart of the family, the school, and society as a whole, and we are losing it more and more as each generation grows.

[Bobbisox]

sorry sqad I thought it was a mere generalisation in my thread...;-)

[mike11111]

Been off-line for a month, Bobbi, as the fan in my laptop broke and it took ages to get fixed - cowboys! Just got it back today. Anyway, I though you had given up AB.

[Bobbisox]

I decided to ride the storms both past, present and future Mike
and I missed the nice people too
nice to see you back

[Bobbisox]

my point exactly Andy, teachers have enough to do without having to teach kids right from wrong, this is the parents job

[Barmaid]

That, unfortunately, is the problem Jack. Many parents sign up to these contracts and then do SFA to abide by them or support the essence of discipline in the school. Invariably the attitude is "it's not my fault, the school should have done more", when little Johnny goes nuts and smashes up a classroom.

[Sqad]

<<<<<<<<when little Johnny goes nuts and smashes up a classroom.<<<<

That was unthinkable 35 odd years ago, as there WAS an contract, unwritten maybe, but said something like "when your child passes through the school doors, then we are responsible for the teaching and disciplining of your child"

That all then changed with the advent of "Child Psychology"

[jackthehat]

On the other hand.................you have stories like this.........

http://www.dailymail....-rules-crackdown.html

[Old_Geezer]

Poor parenting skills will inevitably disadvantage the offspring who are likely to have poor parenting skills which will .... always been the case.

Not that I think parents should have to put up with interference by the State except in extreme circumstances, since who is to dictate the authorities preferred parenting methods are the correct ones? One has individual rights.

But seems to me the most obvious place to compensate for the damage is in the classroom. Sure badly brought up pupils are going to be difficult, but that is the teachers' lot if teaching the lower stream classes. Different skills are needed. Pupils should not be written off by saying, "It's the parents' job". These kids are still going to be in society as they grow up, either making a contribution or causing problems to be dealt with. And that affects us all.

Yes we seem to be in a downward spiral, but there again I sometimes wonder if every generation thinks that. Maybe it's just a small element of all pupils we've always had problems with? But if the system has clearly broken, and can nothing to offer when pupils have no respect, then it still needs correcting. When one level is caving in while another "at the coal face" is regularly under attack, well it just can't go on.

[Sqad]

I know.....I know.......some of it IS over the top, but do you have discipline or do you not?

[Bobbisox]

I have to agree with her jack

[jackthehat]

In Ely the parents are up in arms about the Draconian measures taken by the school and in Darwen everyone is up in arms about the lax attitude to discipline.......it seems there is no middle-ground.

[Sqad]

JTH

.<<<<<<.it seems there is no middle-ground.<<<<<

There is no "middle ground" in discipline....you either have it or you don´t.

A bit like pregnancy...you either are or you are not.

[McMouse]

In many parts of the third world it's considered a privilege to get an education. Parents will often go without food to save enough for their childs schooling, books and uniform. Why we bother spending millions in UK funding schools where neither the kids or parents give a toss.

[andy-hughes]

Old_Geezer - the way discipline works is with consistency.

It is pointless sending a child who receives no guidelines at home into a classroom, where guidelines are enforced, and then back into the home where anarchy rules.

it simply leads to even more bad behaviour at home when the 'reins' are off- and no proper behaviour patterns are ever explained and enforced.

Classrooms should be about education, not damage limitation.

[Bobbisox]

Boot Camp, I recommend!!!

<dives for cover>

[bazwillrun]

Its yet another example of the demise of this country over the past 40 or so years, mainly due to the leftie P.C. disease society that seems to infect everything it comes into contact with.

[Bobbisox]

I was fearful of my teachers baz in a respectable way though

[bazwillrun]

should read "in society" but as there is no edit facility here.....
AB its 2011, forums have had edit facilities since nearly day one !