Margaret Morrissey from ParentsOutloud.com joins the show “When is the right time to start teaching your child to read?” on BBC Woman’s hour (3rd Sept 2009)

Do you know anyone that struggled or is struggling to potty train their child before they start school/pre-school? Or did they have to send them to school knowing that they were still likely to have the odd accident? This is an increasing problem amongst time-strapped parents and we need someone happy to admit they found it tough. Item is set to run next week on GMTV!
Please email Hilary.fletcher@gm.tv

Parents who do not settle school bills for their children’s care at breakfast and after-school clubs are jeopardising pupils’ education, head teachers say.
The National Association of Head Teachers said growing non-payment of bills was leading to budget shortfalls, forcing schools to cut activities.
Some schools say they have not ruled out legal action to reclaim the money. Ministers argue help is available for parents and the use of the courts to recover debts should be a last resort. Schools are encouraged to utilised their buildings outside of regular hours, but much …

HEAS is a national home education charity based in the United Kingdom. It is dedicated to the provision of advice and practical support for families who wish to educate their children at home in preference to sending them to school. Interest in home education is increasing and HEAS recognises that reliable information should be available for everyone. HEAS was established in 1995 by a group of experienced home educators in order to provide good quality information on both the legal and practical aspects of home education. Since then HEAS …

Education Otherwise is a membership based organisation that provides support and information for families whose children are being educated outside school, and for those who wish to uphold the freedom of families to take proper responsibility for the education of their children.The principle aims are: to encourage learning outside the school system; reaffirm that parents have primary responsibility for their children’s education and that they have the right to exercise this responsibility by educating them out of school; establish the primary right of children to have full consideration given …

The Daily Mail
James Slack and Laura Clark
Parents will be encouraged to complain about ‘recalcitrant’ families of unruly classmates as part of a Government plan to cut youth crime. Possible penalties for the mothers or fathers of disruptive children include a court order to improve their parenting skills, a £1,000 fine or – if they fail to pay – jail.
The policy is part of a Government ‘early intervention’ initiative to reduce offences by young people. It puts the emphasis on parents to take responsibility for their offspring’s …

Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor The Telegraph
Sunburn: Children with sunburn could be a sign their parent are neglecting them, new guidance has said. Repeated infestations of headline and a lack of treatment for tooth decay should also trigger doctors and nurses to consider whether the child is being maltreated, under new guidance form the National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence. Sunburn could be a sign of neglect if the child has not been appropriately supervised, the guidance said. One in ten children will suffer some form of maltreatment during their …

Health and Safety or madness?
Would it not be refreshing for a bout of common sense to break out regarding health and safety? Hopefully the Secretary of State for Education will read the Teachers TV survey that was published today which suggests that health and safety regulations are damaging children’s learning and development. I write this, as my granddaughter is about to go with her school on a weeks camping to the Peak District. Yes, I will worry all week and probably feel sick when I think of her …

POSTED BY: Mark Ling, Ipswich
This Government’s ceaseless hostility towards families has lead to an explosive rise in divorce and broken homes. The Government looks on gormlessly as social breakdown occurs, then shamefully blames parents, teachers and children for the consequences. On the face of it their latest assault on families taking a single, term time holiday looks impossible to defend. After all, children have twelve weeks a year holiday, so why should parents believe it necessary to take them out during school time ? The truth is, however, that this …

I agree that we need to capture the voice of parents and to have a proper dialogue which fully involves them. After all if we can have a Children’s Commissioners office to capture the views of a very wide range of children from different backgrounds, ages and cultures, then why not a Parent Commissioner’s office?
It isn’t enough to make the excuse that all parents hold different views depending on their circumstances – it is the responsibility of government to represent the views of parents in the way children are …