Parental education

JWB Douglas

W/c parents
- Place less value on education and therefore
  - Less ambitious
  - Give less encouragement
  - Took less interest in education
  - Visited schools less often
  - Less likely to discuss progress
    - Resulted in lower levels of motivation and achievement
M/c parents more likely to give their children a head start in education
- Place more importance on education therefore
  - More ambitious
  - More encouragement
  - More interest in education
  - More frequent visits to schools
  - Discussed progress with teachers
    - Therefore higher levels of motivation and achievement

Feinstein (2008)

Parent’s own education most important single factor affecting children’s educational achievement
Educated parents give their children a head start through socialisation
- Parenting style emphasises consistent discipline and high expectations
  - Encourages active learning and exploration
- More aware of ways to assist child’s educational progress and more of income spent on this
  - Read
  - Teach letters/numbers/songs/poems
  - Actively involved in schooling
  - Going to places like museums and libraries
- More access to advice on childrearing
- Better relationships with teachers
  - Better interactions for child with their school
- Higher income
  - More nutritious food for physical development
Less educated parenting style
- Uses harsh and inconsistent discipline
  - Prevents independence and self-control
    - Decreased motivation and worse interactions with teachers
- Lacks resources to promote educational success such as toys and books
  - Children start school without the required intellectual skills
- Lower income
  - Less access to nutritious food for physical development

Not all w/c children do equally badly and not all m/c children do equally well as education does not always correlate with class. Educated does not mean m/c and less educated does not mean w/c. Education sets children up better than class.

Goodman and Gregg (2010)