As children go back to school it’s parents who need lessons

Britain’s children go back to school this week. But after months of chatter about grade inflation and the harmful effects of lockdown on learning, is it parenting, rather than schooling, that actually needs attention? New polling reveals that one in ten younger parents think it’s down to someone else to teach their pre-school children to speak. Dig a little deeper and this number doubles to almost a fifth for the very poorest parents. Getting the basics right is seen as someone else’s job.

Too many children fall behind before they have even started school. Many never catch up. By the time they leave school, children from the poorest backgrounds are on average almost three years behind those from the most affluent homes in reading and writing. At the start of this academic year, it’s parents that need a sharp lesson in their responsibilities. Just as we expect them to get their children through the school gates, we should expect them to put in the work at home.