Are schools asking too much of parents these days?

[icantthinkofadifferenname]

I think back to my own childhood where my mum occasionally helped out as a spare pair of hands at a school trip and donated something for a raffle.

My kids' school seem to be asking more and more of parents to help out, or in some cases deliver, things that would historically have been the role of the teacher to do. I know times are tough and resources short but surely the answer is to recruit more teachers and argue that the budget needs to be increased for education instead of asking parents, many of whom will work, to step in for a cheap fix.

I remember parents help with reading, cooking skills, trip etc.

I do think you have a point to some extent a older teacher friend is disgusted teacher don't have time to read with each member of their class even with the help of a TA.

How far back historically?
From a historical point of view help used to be the smart 12 year old at the top of the school. The vicars wife taught the girls sewing, the vicar himself did some nature hikes and botany.
Somebody's spinster aunt probably played the piano at assembly.
🤣

In the 90s I remember parents helping on trips, reading, cooking lessons etc.

I think that schools are now responsible for more and more things that used to be dealt with by parents and health services. One example is the investment in pastoral support. Most schools now have a pastoral team to support behavioural, social and mental health difficulties. There are three people who have this role in our smallish school. This costs money. We are providing 1:1 counselling to some students. We have anxiety support groups and friendship groups. In the past this money would have been used for teaching or for class TAs.

They cant just employ someone and argue for more money, how would they pay the persons wage if the more money didnt appear.

Everything is tougher now, parents used to help with optinal extras but now they are required to hold things together. This deliberate fraying of our services is not sustainable.

My mum helped out in the 80's no TA's back then, she helped in reception one morning a week, there was a rota. The difference now is more mums work

When I was at primary school (1980s) we just had the class teacher - no TA, apart from someone who used to come in and help out a couple of mornings a week with two SEN kids. Parents went on class trips but that was it. The class teacher did everything; taught all day, PE, music, hymn practice and drama etc. I’m not sure where it has gone so wrong, that teachers don’t have time or resources for anything.

It could be that as a child you didn't realise how much your parents did - I know mine don't!

Teachers could pretty much teach what they wanted how they wanted when I was at school.

Schools do ask too much of parents and they argue that they need more money for teachers and resources and support staff.

Schools wouldn’t ask for money and time from parents if they didn’t feel they had to.

What are they asking OP?

cinnabongene in the 1980s there were few children in mainstream needing TA support because there were far more special needs schools - most of these were later closed down in the name of inclusion.

Genuine inclusion is of course the gold standard and a true ideal but it is not what has happened - genuine inclusion is not cheaper than running special schools - it requires huge sweeping changes to the entire educational system and much higher (well trained) adult to child ratios across mainstream what's happened is that government and local government have chosen to be deliberately obtuse about what inclusion should look like, so as to use it as a cover for cost cutting.

When I was in the "top juniors" (year 6) in the early 80s "good girls" from our class were "allowed" to miss class on different afternoons and "help" in reception and infants.

I’m not sure where it has gone so wrong, that teachers don’t have time or resources for anything.

There was no National Curriculum in the majority of the 1980s (introduced in 88). As such, teachers and schools could teach what they wanted, when they wanted, how they wanted. The quality of education was significantly worse than what is expected today.

The class teacher did everything; taught all day, PE, music, hymn practice and drama etc.

Teachers still teach all day and include all aspects of the curriculum.

OP - what exactly do you feel schools are asking parents to do that you feel teachers should be doing instead?

Teachers are expected to do an awful amount of work for free - when they cease to do so (because their food will has been eroded) parents complain.

1980’s has strikes we had no trips or outside lesson activities etc - because they refused.

Is like parents to work free above their pay grade and listen to the moaners.

No. Parents need to parent more though. Schools are doing so much more because parents aren't taking responsibility. The reasons are complex but our well to do outstanding primary has to teach children how to use cutlery, teach them about online bullying ( which happens outside of school), a lot of children can't name basic vegetables, fruits, etc.

The government identifies needs and then expects schools to deal with it on top of actually educating children.

but surely the answer is to recruit more teachers and argue that the budget needs to be increased for education

😂😂

They can't recruit more teachers, there's a massive shortage of both teachers and people training to be teachers.

Perhaps you could email your MP and ask them to increase the education budget because the govt sure as hell isn't listening to those working in schools.

Oh, and support strike action.

Teachers are under a huge amount more stress nowadays and simply have more to do, and are accountable far more. The amount of time we allocate in staff meetings now to monitoring safeguarding, SEND, social and emotional difficulties and LAC is about half an hour to an hour a week.
We don't have time for much else apart from this, marking, and teaching.

If parents really knew the shit we have to deal with, we wouldn't have threads like this.

Recruit more teachers! As simple as that. Don’t know why I didn’t think of that! Oh wait a minute, I can’t pay them any wages cos I’ve staffed the school within my budget.
Margie for increased budget! As simple as that. Don’t know why I didn’t think of that! Oh wait a minute, that’s what I, my colleagues, the profession as a whole and everyone else who has an ounce of care in their body have been doing for years now.

Argue for increased budget!

i think it must depend on the school, in my school I don’t think the parents do enough, most of my youngest sons reception class can’t even write their own name or wipe their bottoms it’s ridiculous! So much is passed on to teachers it’s unfair on the staff and the children who are able to do the above as the teachers time is taken up doing parenting tasks instead of teaching.

I definitely agree with you that the quality of primary education in the 80s was largely abysmal. I don’t agree that today, teachers are teaching all day. My DDs probably have 3 and a half days a week with their class teacher. Half a day is for teacher training (sorry I don’t know the technical term), teacher doesn’t work one day of the week and several hours a week are given over to music and PE. When the teacher isn’t in the classroom, the ‘teaching’ falls to an unqualified TA.

How was the school budget back then when you are a child?

Genuine question since I grew up in different country.
I helped out when I can. Many people do/did. More I helped, and saw what it was like about running school day to day with limited budget, people, etc. I realised that teachers are doing their best, and parental help was something they really needed.
You don't have to help, if you don't want/can't help. But you need to understand the situations that school these days are facing.

My DDs probably have 3 and a half days a week with their class teacher. Half a day is for teacher training (sorry I don’t know the technical term), teacher doesn’t work one day of the week and several hours a week are given over to music and PE. When the teacher isn’t in the classroom, the ‘teaching’ falls to an unqualified TA.

So you're saying that teachers don't work full days because your child's teacher is part time?

Where is the money (not ) coming from?

Yup, and don't forget toilet train more and more children.