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.

Having ‘strict schools’ are a large part of the solution to improving poorly performing schools. Restorative practice, and trauma informed approaches are all distractions, and provide cover for not doing the hard and necessary work needed to change the culture to drive up behaviour standards. Lowering standards for disadvantaged students because of their context does not demonstrate compassion or care, it simply makes us feel better. Genuine compassion and care involves following through on sanctions and holding the line each and every-time. Resource intensive? Yes. Easy? No. Tiring? Definitely. Necessary? Absolutely.