Mixed views on school ombudsman

Some parents opt for home education

People seem split on the suggestion that parents need an "education ombudsman" to turn to when they encounter problems with the system.

They don't seem to listen to anyone's opinion bar their own

Parent Tracie Hatton

The idea was put forward by the former chief schools inspector in England, Mike Tomlinson.

He said last week that he had been inundated with letters from parents, complaining about issues such as school admissions, exams and their children being excluded from school.

They felt there was no one to complain to - except those they thought were to blame.

Suspended

Some BBC News Online users backed his idea.

Former school governor Malcolm Neslund, for example, said that parents had nobody to complain to after the governing body had looked at their concerns.

"As a parent we need some one to go to, and I agree with Mr Tomlinson," he wrote.

Many people had personal issues to recount.

Tracie Hatton wrote about her problems with her son being suspended for what she says were "petty incidents".

"Why is it one rule for teachers who are allowed to get away with what they like and all the teachers stick together even when they are wrong, and one rule for the children?" she wrote.

"There is something seriously wrong with their system as they don't seem to listen to anyone's opinion bar their own."

Welfare service

A member of the Hampshire education welfare service, Gary Lewis, wrote: "I support the need for an independent body to support parents when there is a need to make a complaint about their child's education."

He mentions the Advisory Centre for Education, an independent advice centre for parents.

And he points out that the education welfare services offers a social work service to families.

"Whilst the role of the education welfare service is not to deal with parent's complaints against schools, we are nevertheless often contacted by parents about such matters, particularly if problems affect their child's attendance.

"We can inform parents, who wish to make a complaint, about the county council's procedures and we sometimes contact the school to help negotiate a way forward.

Additional burden

"I would also like to add my support to Mr Tomlinson, as I find that school-related difficulties can be intensified by bureaucracy in schools and education departments."

In my experience the ones who kick up the most fuss are the ones with the children who are the problem

Matthew Weston

Ironically, bureaucracy is another correspondent's objection to the ombudsman idea.

"If you want to topple the education system then having an ombudsman is the way to go about it," wrote Dave.

"The whole thing is covered in so much bureaucracy that having an ombudsman would make the system grind to a halt."

He said teachers were under too much pressure as it was without having to answer to "children's stories".

"I bet 90% of complaints handled by an ombudsman would be disregarded anyway once they are looked into."

What about parents?

JM wrote in similar vein: "Of course there are places to go if you have problems with schools.

"What there isn't is places to go for teachers when they are sworn at, assaulted and continually circumvented when they try and restore order into schools."

JM added: "Let's face it, we all want discipline in the schools - as long as its someone else's child that gets it and not ours."

Richie B was more succinct: "What about setting up a watchdog to ensure that parents are not failing their children or the education services?"

'Too much power'

Matthew Weston, now 21, recalled that in his high school in Wales the main problem was parents.

"No parent ever accepts that their child is the cause of the problem.

"Sometimes they are right, but in my experience the ones who kick up the most fuss are the ones with the children who are the problem," he wrote.

He recounts problems caused by one child, adding: "More of this will happen if parents are given any more power.

"I in fact think they have altogether too much power over other children's education as it is!"

Nowhere to go

But Judith Wright said she gave up on the system after her 13-year-old son was bullied.

"We felt that the school handled the problem very badly making the problem much, much worse.

"The local education authority stated that the problem with both the bullies and the school was nothing to do with them.

"The final stage in the complaints procedure was the school governors, who of course are extremely loyal to the school and its head."

Three years on she well remembers the "frustration" of having no independent body to turn to - and strongly agrees with Mike Tomlinson's idea.

Beating the system

Another mother also backs him.

"For most parents a problem with education will be something they have never dealt with before but the system they want to contest will have a lifetime's experience of knowing how to deal with a complaint, and huge resources to throw behind its case," she wrote.

Her son - who has special educational needs - had been exp[elled twice by head teachers seeking to improve their school exam results, she said.

"On both occasions I contested the unfounded allegations that had led to his expulsion.

"The first time, I failed both at the governors' hearing and the appeal panel.

"The second time, I won easily at the first governors' appeal.

"I had learnt how to take on the system and win," she said.

"Mike Tomlinson is right: parents need an ombudsman because head teachers do not even deal honestly with parents, let alone fairly."