To wonder why some parents don't go to parents evening?

[Lampsinthemist]

I don't pretend to be the best parent but surely you'd go, wouldn't you?

I was one of the few there - why would you miss this?

Mistigri you have misunderstood my post, I was not talking about proving anything to teachers, I was saying I feel it's an important part of showing your DC that their education matters as well as what you do at home with them. I don't think that missing the odd one is bad as thats life, but there are parents who hardly ever go or none at all and this is often because they aren't interested and don't value education or even because they know their child is fine, have busy lives and don't feel it's worth fitting into their schedules. DH is a primary teacher and he's seen children look really upset and embarrassed about it. There is much more to parents evenings than a brief 5min report.

"The biggest threat to a child's education is not poverty"

Oh so have schools gone back to setting homework the old fashioned way involving excersise books instead of an internet connection because unless they have this comment is bullshit.

For the last two years it was physically impossible to pick my daughter up from her school and then get to my sons' school via the bus and home again and have time to actually see a teacher. Also because as my three sons all have SEN I spend a lot of time on the phone talking over issues and there isn't much to say that hasn't already been said.

"Having to use an online booking system should make it a doddle, but as the system opens for bookings at midnight on a set night, you can guarantee that by 6am the majority of appts have been all booked up, so it's a case of staying up to access the system"

Sooo poorer parents wouldnt even be able to book it unless they have the internet at home and the "go to the library" excuse cant be trotted out because there isnt one open at midnight.

Yep Tampon.... poverty deffo not the biggest barrier

I've also never been to a GCSE option evening, and probably never will because we've never had an issue deciding on options. I suppose I'm lucky that my children have so far known exactly what they wanted to do and why, and have chosen subjects that they're good at.

They're a waste of time at primary school. They don't actually tell you how they're doing - they appear to use endless platitudes and they never fully explain the problems. It's all very woolly and subjective.

You come away feeling like it's all a big mystery

Missing it as a one off is not the same as just not bothering every year. Parents who don't bother every single year show a huge lack of care- are they not bothered about having feedback from the place their children go for 7 hours a day? It rings huge alarm bells for me I'm afraid.