Parents must be ‘front and centre’ in their children’s education, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has told schools. The idea, presumably, is that parents have the confidence and know-how to oversee their children, allowing teachers to focus on teaching rather than on being a therapist, a social worker, or a nanny. Parents have lost confidence, courage, and, as a result, authority. At a recent meeting with schools on the Isle of Sheppey, the Parenting Circle charity learnt of special education needs coordinators routinely driving children to their dentist appointments or to their mental health assessments. But parents setting boundaries risks raising hackles and even alienating children.