Legal implications set aside, ( as clearly our own Education Secretary doesn't think they are relevant ) I have to say, even I was astounded by his latest suggestion. Is it just me, or has this man completely lost his mind? I would be interested to hear what others think....

I have just read this article and can't believe that this has seriously been suggested. I personally think that, if schools can't find suitable cover from within their own members of staff, then students should be asked not to attend school on that particular day. It is one thing having parent helpers to hear readers, another thing to assist in class all day covering the teacher. This could be particularly challenging taking into account the varying needs and behaviour of different students. Just my thoughts.

I've always thought the man was mad

Modern History GCSE, Paper 1.

Answer one question. Do not write on both sides of the paper at once.

1. Did the Winter of Discontent secure for the workers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible? Or did it, as others have suggested, usher in seventeen years of Tory mis-rule during which the Labour Party engaged in a civil war which destroyed its electoral credibility for a generation. Discuss.

2. Did the Miner's Strike of 1984 secure for the workers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible? Or did it, as others have suggested, give the Tory party electoral support to destroy an already weakened trade unions movement, while the Labour Party engaged in a civil war which destroyed its electoral credibility for a generation. Discuss.

3. You start with far-fetched resolutions. They are then pickled into a rigid dogma, a code, and you go through the years sticking to that, outdated, misplaced, irrelevant to the real needs, and you end in the grotesque chaos of a Labour council -- a Labour council -- hiring taxis to scuttle round a city handing out redundancy notices to its own workers. How far would you agree with Neil Kinnock?

4. For minority Conservative government whose major policy initiatives have run into the sand and whose popularity is waning, a public sector strike complete with trotty posters is like all their Christmases come at once. How far would you agree with Ed Miliband and Ed Balls?

The op was not about your thoughts on the strike generally, but on Mr Gove's suggestion to combat it. Hardly a well thought out strategy, by anyone's standards, which is rather disturbing coming from someone in such a responsible position, don't you think? ( I must admit, the devilish part of me would love to see parents answer the rallying cry...however, I give the public a little more credit than that )

It's a brilliant strategy. A whole family of tar babies. Gove can't lose.

just about sums it up....

will all these parents have enhanced CRB checks?

are any of them??

Its also a bit of a dilemma for all those mums that also work in other schools or are on strike themselves!!
Of whom I'm sure there are many!

I was just thinking the same, Yoyo ! Still here at EPE we are renowned for our skill at turning our hand to anything..so I'm sure it will be no problem.I'll take health promotion classes and I don't mind doling out dinners at luchtime ( as long as I don't have to wear a hairnet )

I would love to see him and his army of unqualified parents deal with a class full of difficult teenagers or indeed answer the many thought provoking questions asked by top sets in a grammar school.