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Head of Ofsted says parents have raised worst generation yet

31 Aug 2003

Children are starting school less well prepared than ever because parents are failing to raise their youngsters properly, according to David Bell, the Government's chief inspector of schools.

David Bell told the Sunday Telegraph that too many children were receiving a "disrupted and dishevelled" upbringing. As a result, the verbal and behavioural skills of the nation's five-year-olds were at an all-time low, causing severe difficulties for schools.

Mr Bell said that one of the key causes was the failure of parents to impose proper discipline at home, which led to poor behaviour in class. Another serious concern was the tendency to sit children in front of the television, rather than talking and playing with them. This meant that many were unable to speak properly when they started school.

"It is difficult to get hard statistical evidence on what is happening across the country," said Mr Bell, "but if you talk to a lot of primary head teachers, as I do, they will say that youngsters appear less well prepared for school than they have ever been before."

Mr Bell, whose comments coincided with the start of the new school year, said that although classroom standards were rising, parents were still not doing enough to support teachers.

"There is evidence that children's verbal skills are lacking. We should encourage parents to talk to their children and give them a whole range of stimulating things to do and not just assume that the television, or whatever, will do all that for them."
He added that the deficiencies of pupils starting school could have lasting effects, particularly where parents continued to fail to offer support to teachers.

(Sunday Telegraph, 31 August 2003)

The National Literacy Trust and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists responded to David Bell's comments in a joint press release.

Tags: Talk To Your Baby