Allow teachers to fine parents over pupils’ bad behaviour, says Tony Blair’s thinktank

Recent analysis by the Department of Education found that teachers who said their pupils behaved badly were almost twice as likely to consider leaving within a year. Photograph: JohnnyGreig/Getty Images

Ministers should give teachers the power to fine parents if they do not engage with the school to tackle an “epidemic” of bad behaviour, according to the thinktank led by Tony Blair.

Educators should have the same legal powers they have over non-attendance to compel parents to turn up to meetings with the school and agree an action plan for their child, the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) says in a new report.