PARENTS of persistent trouble makers should lose their child benefit money according to an education union.
The Cheshire branch of the Association for Teachers and Lecturers has called for union bosses to accept their resolutions to reduce bad behaviour in class.
A list of four recommendations has been submitted to be considered at ATL’s general conference in Manchester last Wednesday.
Cheshire branch secretary Stuart Hart said child benefits were being targeted because they were universal and devoid of social class.
He said: “If a child misbehaves then it can affect the whole class. We know some of these parents have not had a brilliant up-bringing themselves but we want our children to become good members of society.”
The resolution, that would see the parents of disruptive pupils hit in the pocket, reads: “We call upon Executive to press the government to ensure that schools are provided with the means with which they can deal with the disruptive and maladjusted pupils that damage the education of the large majority and prevent the majority who want to learn from being able to do so.
“We ask that the benefits system be adjusted so the parents of those persistent disruptive pupils lose part of their child benefits.”
The conference, attended by Education Minister Ed Balls, will also hear that the county’s ATL members would want pupil exclusions to become the last resort in penalties; parents of disruptive pupils attend strategic classes and pupils to be dealt with in a firm but sensitive manner so they can avoid becoming a NEET – a young person not in education, employment or training.
