Press release by Parent.org
for immediate release

Time for teachers to step forward.

"We should all be alarmed at the news that there is a high rate of violence and abuse of teachers by children and their parents,"says Parent.org's chair, Steve Gore. "But when we have finished being alarmed we need to consider how we can reduce that in the most effective way.

The group believes that the best way is to make education a true partnership between teachers and parents. The group suggests that teachers are not encouraged to make the most out of their parenting community

Parent.org asks how many teachers meet with their students parentsat the start of the school yearand discuss with them the standards of behaviour they expect and how they manage classroom discipline? If children are getting disciplined one way at school and another way at home there is every chance they will become confused and frustrated and possibly lash out. Currently teachers get extensive training in child development and behaviour management and parents get none. It would be in everyones interests for teachers to share some of that knowledge.

"By joining together at the start teachers and parents can create a successful partnership around every child's education so the child has a much clearer understanding of what is expected of them and parents aren't left wondering what is going on in the classroom," says Mr Gore. "Teachers are highly trained professions and deserve more respect than they currently seem to get. For them to regain that respect they need to take the initiative and open a dialogue with the parents."

"Parents need to understand that their children's future is in the hands of teachers so it is in their children's interest to support teachers - not attack and undermine them....but nobody is telling them what that means on a day to day basis."

Parent.org is a national lobby group. It advocates that the whole country would be better of economically and socially if the role of parent was valued and adequately resourced. For the nation to move forward we need to raise more people who can contribute to the development of the country and fewer who drain from it. Parents are the key to making that happen but currently they operate in an environment that focuses attention on failure rather than success - change that focus and we can change everything.

ends

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