THE FORGOTTEN PARENT
SIR,-It is not difficult to agree with Mr. Clarke's able statement of the mutual distrust between parent and teacher. Nor will one find serious fault with the reasons that he advances—on behalf of the parents—for the suspicion felt with regard to the proposed new reforms, although we would add that to be a " working-class parent " is not to be " inarti culate " as Mr. Clarke so glibly assumes. From my own experience I would question his sources of information on the parents' attitude to- wards improved education, milk in schools, dental and medical treatment. What regular contact, one wonders, has the writer of your article with working-class parents?—or does he base his remarks on the idle grunt- blings of a few isolated teachers of " superior education."
Why, we wonder, does he make no attempt to explain the real reason for the antagonism between parents and teachers? It is not enough to point to class distinction and jealousy. The trouble has deeper roots —the conditions under which the teachers work.
They are, on the whole, ashamed to meet the parents in open meet- ing and criticism because they know they cannot .justify their treatment of the children. Why not? The classes are too large, too exhausting, too undermining to their patience—discipline is forced to- become more rigid as the class grows in size—children's mischievous liveliness be- comes a crime when threatened by multiplication by 4o, 5o, or 6o. Add to this the excessive competition between teachers for Better inspectors' repOrts (an economic motive) and one sees why all these things lead them to drive the children, and out of exasperation and exhaustion the! become unfair and over severe.
But these factors are the counterpart of the social disadvantages of the parents (which Mr. Clarke. adequately describes), and so far from antactonising should (and definitely does) lead to mutual understanding.
Why finally does your writer call for conferences and consultations when in fact the method of the Parents' Association not only exists, but is
officially encouraged by most education authorities. Where these asso- ciations exist they have shown splendid results in bringing about dose co-operation between parents and teachers ; and incidentally the parents have frequently shown themselves ahead of the teachers in progressive thinking on the problem involved. Unfortunately the Parents' Association may only exist at the invitation of the head teacher. This is the anchor—this freedom of the hod teacher to decide—by which the forward movement of these association• is hampered.
May I recommend your contributor to inform himself—at first hand
—of the workings of such a Parents' Association? PHYLLIS LEAT.
Headmistress, Burnham Infants School.
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