ASCL General Secretary Pepe Di'Iasio will today (Saturday 15
March) say it is time to refresh and renew the social contract
between schools, the government and parents amidst a burgeoning
complaints culture and continued issues with pupil absence.
Addressing delegates
at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) annual
conference in Liverpool, he will say: “I want to address the
increasingly strained relationship between schools and some of
our parents.
“When I speak to colleagues across the country, many tell me they
feel under siege from a growing culture of complaints.
“These grievances aren't just directed at schools – they're
escalated to Ofsted, the Teaching Regulation Agency, the
Department for Education, and local authorities. And if that
weren't enough, they are often amplified on social media, adding
further pressure to already overstretched staff, who feel unable
to respond.”
And he will highlight a survey conducted on behalf of ASCL by
Teacher Tapp in which state school teachers and leaders in
England were asked what reasons they had been given for pupil
absence this academic year.
We asked the same question last year – and the
issues identified have worsened (last year's results in
brackets):
Family wants to take a holiday during term time: 93% (87%)
Pupil is attending a family event: 81% (76%)
Pupil is too anxious about school to attend: 74% (66%)
Pupil kept home because they are tired after an event the night
before: 61% (51%)
Pupil kept home because parent/ carer is in dispute with school:
36% (32%)
Pupil wants to work online from home (other than due to illness):
13% (8%)
Mr Di'Iasio will say that the findings over school-related
anxiety highlight the urgent need for better mental health
support but that the other reasons point to a different issue.
He will say: “We all know something changed in society after the
Covid-19 pandemic. I can't pinpoint exactly why, but for some
families, school seems to have become – at least in part –
optional. And that mindset persists.
“The blunt instrument of fines is not reversing this trend. Last
year alone, a staggering 443,000 penalty
notices were issued for unauthorised family holidays – an
increase of 87,000 from the previous year.
“But far from solving the problem, fines often deepen tensions
between schools and parents. Schools, simply enforcing the rules,
are left looking like the villains.
“So, what's the solution?
“For a start, ministers should engage with the travel industry to
address the excessive cost of holidays during school breaks – a
major driver of term-time absences.
“But beyond that, we need a broader cultural shift. It's time to
refresh and renew the social contract with a declaration agreed
and developed by schools, government, and parents working
together.
“This means setting out clear expectations, the importance of
following the rules for the collective good, and the proper
channels for complaints.
“Such an agreement should be developed, endorsed, and promoted by
everyone with a stake in education. We need to speak with one
voice.”
Ends
The General Secretary's speech can be read here.
In a poll in February, Teacher Tapp asked teachers and school
leaders in England: “This academic year, have you been given any
of these reasons for pupil absence?” The results for respondents
in state-funded schools were:
