Column: Are parents really doing enough work to prepare their kids for school?

Just under half of parents think it is not their job to teach their kids how to use books before they start school. There’s a clue as to what is going wrong here.

If someone says “use books” you know they’re not a reader. You don’t catch many people in libraries asking, “How do I use this book? Where is the on switch?”

We’re too tech reliant. Some teachers have reported seeing children trying to swipe on book covers to open them. Kids these days, they’re treating “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” like it’s Tinder.

I know these young folk will grow up into a world where they have to be able to swipe more than we did. These days you have to be able to use a touchscreen to order a KFC.

Doesn’t it feel strange, just a few years on from not being able to touch anyone during a pandemic, we now have to dip our fingers into a communal pool before eating?

The survey also found that a quarter of parents don’t think toilet training is a must before starting school. No wonder the children aren’t getting into books. The toilet is where I do most of my reading.

Is it something the schools should have to teach? How far do they think this goes on for in education? Are parents hoping their offspring could get a GCSE in toilet technique if they work hard enough?

It seems the parents have the attitude of, “Let the schools deal with it.’ I know primary education is about learning the basics but that should be the alphabet not bathroom skills.

The only P they should be learning about is the letter.

Sir Keir Starmer had set his target of 75 per cent of children to be “school ready” by 2028.

The current figure stands at 68 per cent. But with so many parents passing the buck, it’s a miracle it’s that high.

We hear how we are falling behind the educational standards of places like Japan but sending our children into school without the basic three Rs of reading, writing and restroom use, we’re only making it worse.

You can’t blame the children. How are they to know what’s going wrong? I know most of them could Google for a handy YouTube explainer on book reading but they don’t know they should.

As ever, what starts with a “kids these days” rant ends up being a “parents these days” issue. For more from Steve, head to YouTube and check out YouTube.com/@mrstevenallen

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