Farid Patel

We have been far too slow to speak openly about this. Parental accountability has become almost taboo, an inconvenient truth in the education debate. In many schools, parents are the only group shielded from meaningful scrutiny or responsibility, often receiving a free pass while teachers and schools shoulder the blame. It is no surprise, then, that we’ve seen a surge in diagnostic labels, sometimes used as a means to deflect responsibility. For some, it has become easier to attribute challenging behaviour to disorders than to confront the impact of lifestyle choices or permissive parenting. Terms like Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and Conduct Disorder (CD) are now common in school settings. And when a child can’t arrive on time, we might even hear of Time Perception Disorder (TPD). This is not to deny the existence of genuine conditions, nor to stigmatise those who need support. But we must be honest: overdiagnosis and misattribution can serve as a convenient shield from necessary conversations about boundaries, discipline, and the role of parents in shaping behaviour. Schools cannot, and should not, be expected to compensate for the absence of structure and accountability at home.

No teacher or student should be compelled to share a learning environment with individuals who are violent or persistently disruptive. We find ourselves in an increasingly untenable position where the needs of a single disruptive individual are allowed to outweigh those of the wider school community. The majority, students and staff alike, are made to feel a misplaced moral obligation to accommodate behaviour that directly impairs the education, wellbeing, and safety of others. This distorted narrative has flourished in part because schools are expected to shoulder the burdens of broader societal failings, often without corresponding support or accountability from families. There has been a gradual erosion of parental responsibility, with the expectation that schools alone must manage the consequences. To restore balance, we must reinforce the authority of schools and headteachers, empowering them to act decisively in the interests of the majority of pupils who are committed to learning. This includes reining in the disproportionate influence of activist groups and legal advocates who undermine school culture, discipline, and the fundamental mission of education.