Keir Starmer "sick and tired" of hearing about children who aren't school-ready

At the primary school where I am Governor up to 50% of the R intake are not "school ready", largely due to parents not undertsanding how to Parent or not caring enough to.
Can you imagine how much work that takes for the school and how it impacts the Kids who are willing and able to learn?

I am sure many of us with speech delayed children have heard that old chestnut of "talk to your kids" or "read to your kids" as if we haven't been doing that. No shit Sherlock.

Did he say he was sick and tired of hearing it or say he’s sick and tired of parents not preparing their children and rather just moaning they aren’t school ready?

Because I agree that I’m fed up of hearing it. Children have started school at the same age since forever. If they aren’t ready now it’s because attitudes have changed - children’s development hasn’t.

It's different if your child has some medical or learning needs.

But I hear parents with completely
nt children saying at 3 they won’t be school ready and the teachers will just have to deal with it. I don’t think they even try!

and I say that as a parent of an autistic DS who started school 3 weeks after he turned 4 and wasn’t as ready as some children - but my job was to get him as ready as was possible rather than moaning about it.

I would imagine it’s to do with the lastest trend of deferring children who would otherwise be fine if given the chance.

Having said that our education system needs a massive overhaul in general and I say that as someone who works in education!!

That makes sense.

And you would imagine if in pre-school, they’d be being taught these things.

A shame there’s still a cohort of parents who even when given free childcare can’t be bothered to access it for their children.

When she starts school presumably you’ll be hoping the school are able to support her rather than stretched too think by the needs of the children who are currently starting school unable to sit on the floor and hold a book because they’ve spent 4 years on a sofa in front of YouTube. Who are in nappies because no one could be bothered to potty train them. Who can’t use cutlery because no one taught them.

You’re doing your best, not all parents are and everyone pays a price for shit parenting.

@Kirova your DD will start school with staff knowing she will need extra support because of her need and that’s absolutely fine.

You would be surprised how many children can barely talk in Nursery/Reception, which makes you wonder how much they are interacted with at home.
Lots of children don’t have a clue how to play, even when play is modeled by an adult it takes months to break them out of the cycle of just throwing or breaking toys.
It doesn’t sound like a massive issue but when you have a class of 30 and at least half behave this way.
Children who are able to talk, listen, sit, follow instruction, play, contribute to their age appropriate level are in the minority in lots of schools sadly.

He was talking about how some can already read while others are almost literally in nappies. Some are literally in nappies, not almost, but that’s what he was saying. He seems to think widened access to childcare will improve things. Presumably because other services will pick up on children who aren’t meeting milestones before starting school.

The vast majority of kids who aren’t school ready were not premature. They’re kids who have been dumped in front of screens and fed pouches while mum and dad scroll their phone and vape.

This morning on the BBC.

What is the definition of ‘school ready’?

I think an increase in children who aren’t potty trained etc (if true…!) is a bit of distraction for the teachers.

Given your child is two, there’s so much time for her to develop before school age…

I get your point because some children won’t be ready with even the best parenting.
But there are increasingly children who are Autumn-Spring born with no additional need that are coming into schools unable to do the basics such as go to toilet.
School staff are very good at spotting children with potential additional need so those children won’t be factored into statements like these but neurotypical children that don’t have basic skills are causing a huge huge strain on schools - meaning those children that have had basic parenting and can toilet, sit for a v. short period of time or listen are pretty much left to their own devices playing whilst staff are having to change nappies etc for others.

Did he actually say that? Where??