Penalizing the parents

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Call it tough love for parents: A proposed bill would impose a fine on parents — or even throw them into jail — if they repeatedly refuse to attend a parent-teacher conference.

Some lawmakers will be taken aback by such a punitive initiative, but it attempts to deal with a real problem — irresponsible parents who undermine the education of their own children.

It's often said that the three most important people in a child's education are the child, the parent and the teacher. Sometimes the parent is the weakest link, and corrective action is needed.

The Legislature in recent years has sought to hold both students and teachers accountable for academic achievement. Students these days face the prospect of being held back a grade if they consistently fail the state's standardized test. Educators also can be penalized, even fired, for the poor performance of students.

A bill by Rep. Doug Smith, a Spartanburg Republican, would extend that level of accountability to parents as well. Schools would notify a magistrate when a parent repeatedly refuses to attend a conference to discuss a child's behavior or academic performance. The magistrate could issue a subpoena to compel the parent to attend a conference. If the parent doesn't show, the judge could find the parent in contempt of court.

The parent could then be forced to attend a parental responsibility program, be fined up to $500 or be jailed for no more than 30 days.

The clear message is that parents in South Carolina are expected to be active participants in their own children's education. Plenty of studies have shown a close correlation between parental support and a student's academic success.

Smith's proposal requires that a school prove it made a reasonable attempt to schedule the conference at a time convenient for the parent. Certainly a magistrate also should take into account language barriers that might deter a parent from attending a conference.

Some consideration should be given also to parents who feel intimidated by schools. Teachers have to be better trained to reach out to parents who may have dropped out of school themselves.

Smith's proposal also shouldn't be allowed to distract attention from the responsibility of the Legislature to properly fund education. But the reasoning behind Smith's bill is sound, even if his proposed penalties seem a bit harsh.

Parents need to participate in the education of their children, and those children with inattentive or neglectful parents generally suffer in our public schools.