UK teachers report rise in problem parents

[Tabitha005]

Rude and disrespectful parents were a big issue when I worked in education ten years ago and, from this article, it seems to be an increasing concern.

Who’d be a teacher, eh? The shit they have to put up with is awful.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/mar/13/teachers-mental-heath-parents-behaviour-education

I retired 3 years ago having taught for 40 years. The decline in behaviour from pupils and parents over the last 10 years was alarming.

Secondary SLT here. Called a fucking bitch by a parent just yesterday. Par for the course at my school. Sent her a verbal abuse to staff warning letter, as per.

Doesn't help that I lead on attendance. All parents seem to hate the attendance lead. Good job I have a thick skin. Doesn't bother me one bit.

I would question teachers being significantly impacted by thus tho. I'd say pastoral (non teaching) staff bear the brunt of parental dissatisfaction. Classroom teachers may to a lesser degree, but nothing like the the way pastoral leads, head of year, attendance officers, behaviour mentors etc do. Not forgetting reception staff who are often front-line.

Retired a year ago from a naice indie -parents were big part of the reason I retired early.

Go on… ?

I'm just a mum on the school run and I've really noticed how many of my fellow parents bitch and complain to the school about petty things that I couldn't imagine my DMs generation bothering about.

Oh the awful bitching on the parents WhatsApp group is grim

I work in an independent school, the entitlement is outstanding. They fuck up constantly with their kids and then backtrack and try and get their own way. I’m fed up with them.

A while back you couldnt see a parent for dust, even if you wanted to have a word with them.

Now they're positively storming through the gates with lots to say.

EYFS and Ks1 teachers deal with parents every day.

I'm hitting 60 ,the ahole kids I went to school with had kids and in turn their kids had kids
Decades later recognise the surnames in court cases .
Apple doesn't fall far from the tree

As soon as I receive an email that one kid has done something to another kid, I feel sick with dread because I m low however it is handled, one parent at least will be pissed off and have a go at me. Oh and believe their child over the adults and actual evidence.

I’m doing two more years and going at 55, cannot be doing with it any longer than that

It is see daily on mn as are the suggestions to go to school and play hell

Rural secondary… on top of what PPs have mentioned, I’m also sick of the daily “my dad says I don’t need GCSEs”/“my dad says school is a waste of time”/“why do I need to learn this to work on my farm”
It baffles me why any parent wouldn’t want to inspire and encourage their kids to be the best they can be

What do they complain about?

Teaching HOYs still exist!
Also primary teachers see parents face to face daily.

My neighbour in an independent school deals with - ‘my dad is a barrister, he will sue you’, ‘my parents pay your wages’, and a million more comments along the same lines from 12 and 13 year olds.

Oh everything. Absolutely everything.

the play is too long, my child didn’t get a part, my child has a big part and has to memorise lines, my child isn’t being stretched, my child’s 1:1 isn’t superglued to him, the teacher doesn’t know who I am, i don’t like the tone/sound of the teachers voice, the words of the traditional hymns include reference to Jesus blood (not sure what ranting at the teacher about that one was useful), not enough PE, the children got wet at forest school
its endless, all prefixed with “poor dc”
these people have too much time on their hands

oh my absolutely favourite , the parent who said she was in tears because her child’s wellies got wet at forest school.

(for context I am a parent and nothing to do with teaching or education)

I’m only a governor but the behaviour of parents shocks me to my core. The sheer amount of energy I expend in worrying about my children and their impact in the world and the total lack of shits given by a huge number of parents never fails to baffle me.

In my limited experience, it’s the hands off parenting that’s the issue. Which is odd because parenting definitely felt more hands off in my generation, but respect for authority still seemed prevalent, that just doesn’t seem to be present as much these days.

I should say, some complaints/concerns will be legit because a parents WA group is not the place to raise them

*but not because! I need sleep

There has been an unfortunate shift from universally ‘free at the point of access’ education being:

• Seen as a route to broaden opportunities beyond those who have the financial means to access it
• A privilege
• A hub of engagement, contribution and connection

To school is a consumer activity where teachers (school staff) must service the expectations of a growing number of parents who are vocal and vicious and also unreasonable in their demands.

I wish we could actually have a proper campaign where instead of pretending it can be more than it is - express that in fact, school needs to do less.

• School cannot ever meet all the needs of all the people all the time.
• Your child cannot expect to like every teacher and every teaching style.
• It’s actually quite a brutal place because you know what - humans can be cruel and it’s full of humans.
• There are rules. Because you can’t organise large numbers of people without rules.
• And there is no social group where contravening those rules don’t result in consequences.
• And school is not the place for unconditional love or potty training or teaching your child to use cutlery or how to brush their teeth or tie their hair in a pony tail.
• it’s a conditional place aiming to get people to a basic level of literacy and numeracy.
• And guess what you might never have used Pythagorus theory - but my neighbour who trained to be an astronaut and went to a mainstream comprehensive - well he probably has, and that’s part of a general education- we don’t know what specialism’s people are going to into and we don’t want to limit people too early.
• And you know what? schools are full of teachers who stay late and pay for things out of their own pocket because they think that in school there are chances to experience clubs and matches and performances and for a short time in a life - there is are boundaried choices to try and experience and not everything has to be perfect.
• And Home is so important and parents are so important. Home in the place for unconditional love. But that’s not school.
• And I think that would be more honest.

@NFPorterkeeponkeepingonNsoul I found the same with the generational thing.

Our head used to dread opening her emails in the morning. 95% would be parents complaining about absolute trivia- just sheer entitlement.

We even had a parent go to the music teacher's house demanding to know why her daughter wasn't in the choir.

A PSA was out for a meal with her husband and a parent came up to her asking why she'd told her son off.

It's unbelievable. They think you're answerable to their nonsense 24/7.

Nothing excuses parents being abusive, making personal remarks and or generally overstepping.
Parents and teachers usually want the same thing - calm school, decent behaviour, decent support - but not many schools like that.

@Onemoremakesthree Do you accept that as totally true? Even farmers need maths! They run quite complex businesses. I guess kid is a nuisance over homework and parents realise they have a dud. Work on the farm but never run it?