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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think the Ofsted inspector who blames WFH parents for low attendance is probably just resentful?

362 replies

JandamiHash · 16/02/2025 14:28

The Chief Inspector of Ofsted is blaming parents who WFH for the demise of school attendance https://www.itv.com/news/2025-02-16/parents-working-from-home-makes-children-feel-school-is-optional-ofsted-head?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0ULgukQnTsabNTlcJRBI4kVQsMYkhCPK_KA4lUAgVkxOocYfo3onmRNHU_aem_nuBknA_QEGgfA93CaTPagg. Apparently none of us want to take our slippers off so we let our kids stay at home while we work.

He makes some REALLY weird points like his overworked dad he didn’t see much as his inspiration to go to school. And also MPs making sure they spend weekends with their families is a bad work ethic.

I know MN is a good example of whenever WFH threads are brought up, non-WFHers come on dripping with resentment over WFH and implying WFHers don’t really work. AIBU to think this man - who has somehow been knighted - is basically doing that? I’m not sure how much inspecting he does now, but Ofsted inspectors aren’t any superior or harder working just because they spend a few days working away from home at a time (something BTW I’m expected to do, at least 1 overnight a month).

Also as someone from a household where 2 of us WFH, I can’t think of anything worse than having kids flapping around us while we try and work. I’m FT, and this week I’m off Weds-Fri, as is DH. my DD11 will be at home tomorrow with strict instructions to keep away unless there’s a serious emergency (she’s secondary and old enough to take care of herself) and at a friend’s on Tuesday. My DS is 8 and is going into a holiday club tomorrow and Tuesday as his neediness is unbearable. Both have somewhere between 97 and 99% attendance so far this academic year.

YABU - “He’s got a point”
YANBU - “He’s wrong/resentful”

OP posts:
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ThePartingOfTheWays · 17/03/2025 06:49

Ultimately, there will be a reason for him having come out with this claim. And we know it isn't because there's actual evidence. Schools of course do not have the data on parental place of work, and why would they really.

Whether or not he did it because he's resentful is another question. But it is worth asking what the reason is.

daleylama · 16/03/2025 21:44

picturethispatsy · 12/03/2025 17:30

What does that even mean?

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Title implies that for some reason a school inspector would be in anyway 'resentful' about WFH parents keeping their kids out of school for one thing. (What is he supposed to 'resent'? ) Entitled parents who think their 'holy child' doesnt need the discipline of school for another.

picturethispatsy · 14/03/2025 08:33

daleylama · 13/03/2025 21:14

What's unclear?

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”holy child syndrome” and the topic of the thread?

daleylama · 13/03/2025 21:14

picturethispatsy · 12/03/2025 17:30

What does that even mean?

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What's unclear?

ThePartingOfTheWays · 12/03/2025 18:25

picturethispatsy · 12/03/2025 10:48

what a judgmental post.

The poster has made it clear health comes above education. As it should. And nowhere does she imply her child has had a lot of time off school.

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Yes, that post was outright invention.

HaloDolly · 12/03/2025 17:48

Also, since 'Covid' we've all been getting more coughs, colds and...covid! It wasn't an isolated event.

HaloDolly · 12/03/2025 17:43

He's talking out of his arse.

It's very hard to get any work done with a child at home, so is the implication that homeworkers are slovenly? Surely truancy is more likely to happen in families where one or both parents are not in work.

picturethispatsy · 12/03/2025 17:30

daleylama · 12/03/2025 17:09

One person's sniffles is another's raging pneumonia. I'm entirely over holy child syndrome

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What does that even mean?

daleylama · 12/03/2025 17:09

picturethispatsy · 12/03/2025 10:48

what a judgmental post.

The poster has made it clear health comes above education. As it should. And nowhere does she imply her child has had a lot of time off school.

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One person's sniffles is another's raging pneumonia. I'm entirely over holy child syndrome

picturethispatsy · 12/03/2025 10:48

daleylama · 12/03/2025 00:41

and what are your feelings about your child's loss of education when they are absent( which sounds like it might be a fair amount judging by your attitude)?

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what a judgmental post.

The poster has made it clear health comes above education. As it should. And nowhere does she imply her child has had a lot of time off school.

daleylama · 12/03/2025 00:41

Ankhmo · 16/02/2025 14:40

Invite viruses I to a school
Inevitable that some kids will get it worse than others and be off.

This obsession with attendance is ridiculous.

If my kid is ill, my kid stays off, I couldn't give a fuck about the schools attendance score, I care about my kid.

and what are your feelings about your child's loss of education when they are absent( which sounds like it might be a fair amount judging by your attitude)?

Donsyb · 19/02/2025 12:14

JandamiHash · 18/02/2025 21:58

And over worked and underpaid and under appreciated and toxic workplaces. Did you really just think kids were a reason people are leaving teaching?! Anyone I know who’s left teaching has done so with a heavy heart because they care so much about the children they teach

I never said they don’t care about kids! But when you’re being physically and verbally attacked by them on a weekly (if not daily) then why would you stay? Which is what happened to at least one of my friends.

ThePartingOfTheWays · 19/02/2025 09:55

Lollipop81 · 19/02/2025 09:14

There was a segment on Lorraine yesterday where they were discussing it. They were also saying it is easier for parents to wfh with their children than take them to school. I’m not sure what planet they are from as this just isn’t true. I think it’s all part of a drive to get everyone back in the office personally.

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Does Lorraine think she's qualified to comment in this area or something? Didn't think she lived in the studio personally!

Lollipop81 · 19/02/2025 09:14

KatherineE · 17/02/2025 23:20

I completely agree with the OP.
I was at home, not working (either from home or an office) for 12 years with my young children. Spent every day with my "slippers on" being a SAHM through choice (and i acknowledge the privilege of that choice). My children attended school despite my slipper wearing fetish.
Now my children are 10 and 13 and I have enthusiastically returned to work (4 days) and I do most of my working week from home.
My attitude has always been, and remains, that attending school is in the best interest of our children. If they are ill and cannot attend, then of course we make arrangements between us to ensure they can be looked after. If they are well then they go to school. They have always had attendance well above 95%.
Pretty straightforward stuff and not influenced in any way by my office and bank of monitors being in our home rather than a few miles down the road.
I'm astonished at the reductive nonsense being spouted by someone that has this level of influence in education. That he can put out this drivel without any data to give credibility to his claims simply undermines Ofsted. Given the reputational damage they have suffered recently I'm surprised this interview was given the green light.
This issue is far more complex than Mr Slippers wishes to acknowledge. Those with a background in education/social care will likely agree.

Edited

There was a segment on Lorraine yesterday where they were discussing it. They were also saying it is easier for parents to wfh with their children than take them to school. I’m not sure what planet they are from as this just isn’t true. I think it’s all part of a drive to get everyone back in the office personally.

Original poster
JandamiHash · 18/02/2025 21:58

And over worked and underpaid and under appreciated and toxic workplaces. Did you really just think kids were a reason people are leaving teaching?! Anyone I know who’s left teaching has done so with a heavy heart because they care so much about the children they teach

OP posts:
Original poster
JandamiHash · 18/02/2025 21:57

Donsyb · 18/02/2025 21:51

Well that’s why all my friends have left teaching! What are the other reasons then?

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Ofsted

OP posts:
Donsyb · 18/02/2025 21:51

picturethispatsy · 18/02/2025 21:11

Yeah cos that’s the only reason….

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Well that’s why all my friends have left teaching! What are the other reasons then?

picturethispatsy · 18/02/2025 21:11

Donsyb · 18/02/2025 19:13

What makes it unappealing to teachers is badly behaved children and parents, especially the parents who blame the teachers for their own kids behaviour!

Edited
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Yeah cos that’s the only reason….

BunnyVV · 18/02/2025 20:25

He’s being paid to say it by some right-wing think tank who have donors who own office property in big cities.
its all nonsense.
bad parents are bad parents.
nervous kids are nervous kids.

i am totally overworked because we all WFH and my boss refuses to acknowledge he needs to ask for more headcount. If I was in an office they’d see there’s a problem with workload vs staff

Donsyb · 18/02/2025 19:13

picturethispatsy · 18/02/2025 08:56

Ah look mainstream media & the government parent blaming again. What a surprise.

If Ofsted/the department for Education thought a little deeper than they do (they’re not deep thinkers), they may wonder why there is an attendance crisis in schools. They may start to ponder why so many teachers and students are leaving schools. They may look at the fact that the world has changed, particularly since the pandemic (other ways too) and analyse what it is about school that makes it SO unappealing to most.

Will they do that? Probably not. They’ll likely bring in ever increasing fines and penalties and bury their heads in the sand.

What makes it unappealing to teachers is badly behaved children and parents, especially the parents who blame the teachers for their own kids behaviour!

Bunnycat101 · 18/02/2025 08:56

WFH allows me to work and manage the fact that primary is much harder to manage logistically than nursery because schools still seem to assume people don’t have jobs. having us both work full time with long commutes was killing us.

What WFH allows: if a child is borderline, I can send them in knowing if they deteriorate I can pick up at lunchtime. Conversely it means it’s easier to let then stay at home to recover if they are poorly. This is a good thing. Children get ill and sometimes just need rest. It is also easier to manage doctor or dentist appointments.

When WFH I much prefer my children in school or childcare. I’d be much more likely to have the odd day where I keep them off for something fun if I didn’t have a job. There’s no point having them at home being bored while I’m working so I don’t buy that logic at all. The kid with the worst absence in my daughter’s class has anxiety and a sahm who lives quite a long commute from the school. That set up makes it very easy to have a day at home. Working parents often desperately to try and avoid it.

picturethispatsy · 18/02/2025 08:56

Ah look mainstream media & the government parent blaming again. What a surprise.

If Ofsted/the department for Education thought a little deeper than they do (they’re not deep thinkers), they may wonder why there is an attendance crisis in schools. They may start to ponder why so many teachers and students are leaving schools. They may look at the fact that the world has changed, particularly since the pandemic (other ways too) and analyse what it is about school that makes it SO unappealing to most.

Will they do that? Probably not. They’ll likely bring in ever increasing fines and penalties and bury their heads in the sand.

sankacoolrunnings · 18/02/2025 08:33

I can't bear the kids being home when I'm working. Mine are out of the door by 8am, not sure he really knows what he's talking about.

Spillageremover · 18/02/2025 06:25

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Original poster
JandamiHash · 18/02/2025 00:13

KatherineE · 17/02/2025 23:20

I completely agree with the OP.
I was at home, not working (either from home or an office) for 12 years with my young children. Spent every day with my "slippers on" being a SAHM through choice (and i acknowledge the privilege of that choice). My children attended school despite my slipper wearing fetish.
Now my children are 10 and 13 and I have enthusiastically returned to work (4 days) and I do most of my working week from home.
My attitude has always been, and remains, that attending school is in the best interest of our children. If they are ill and cannot attend, then of course we make arrangements between us to ensure they can be looked after. If they are well then they go to school. They have always had attendance well above 95%.
Pretty straightforward stuff and not influenced in any way by my office and bank of monitors being in our home rather than a few miles down the road.
I'm astonished at the reductive nonsense being spouted by someone that has this level of influence in education. That he can put out this drivel without any data to give credibility to his claims simply undermines Ofsted. Given the reputational damage they have suffered recently I'm surprised this interview was given the green light.
This issue is far more complex than Mr Slippers wishes to acknowledge. Those with a background in education/social care will likely agree.

Edited

See I can’t be doing with slippers, I have huge flipper like feet and they always come off - can’t beat a pair woolly bed socks in the winter and some fuck ugly sliders in the summer (though i have sworn on my first born to never wear Crocs). Do I count as a contributor of low attendance or do you think the footwear has to be slipper specific??

In all seriousness you make a good point about illness - surely it’s a good things that it’s easier to stay off with sick kids for those who don’t work out the home. But Ofsted have shown that Parental judgement is not trusted, we are either skiving by proxy or being snowflakes towards our kids. Their PR and comms team needs sacking - such a bad reputational move. Theyre really building their own gallows

OP posts: