Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, warned of “increasingly strained relationships” between schools and some parents.
Speaking at the ASCL annual conference in Liverpool, he said that the continued challenge of addressing student absence post-Covid is placing huge strain on relationships.
He said that the huge increases in the number of parental fines for absence being issued had not solved the problem and, indeed, was deepening tensions.
He called, instead, for the social contract between parents and schools to be “renewed and refreshed”.
Mr Di’Iasio said: “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.
Register now, read forever
Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.
What's included:
-
Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast
-
New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday
Already have an account? Sign in here