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Is there anything more vital than good parenting? Nothing More Important argues the case for mandatory parenthood education for every child and young person of every age in every type of school, as part of the core curriculum.

 

 

Nothing More Important

Volume One: Teaching Parenthood in Schools: Five centuries of heartfelt advocates

 

Volume One gives the surprisingly long history of the idea: everyone from the 16th century until 2022 who has passionately advocated preparing students at school for their future parenting. It gives details of programmes, mostly in the UK and US, which have been tried. There is an analysis of the many reasons why the idea of school-based parenthood education is resisted, then evidence of its benefits. This volume concludes by asking: what should schools be for?

 

Volume Two: How to prepare children and young people at school to be good parents

 

Volume Two has details of programmes which still exist today, in nurseries up to colleges, which you can use or adapt. There is comprehensive advice on how to teach the subject, and resources to use in the classroom.

 

‘How is it that we so unthinkingly perpetuate a chain of emotional and imaginative deprivation in our education system?  Ros Kane at last spells out, with boldness and clarity, where the shortfall lies.  An educational system that fails to nurture the skill to nurture is in trouble.  Ros details the story of efforts to rectify this over several centuries and the sources of resistance to change, in a way that should challenge, inspire (and perhaps even shame) educators into thinking again about what it is to educate human beings whose task it is to help others be more human.'

Rowan Williams

 

Ros Kane is a psychotherapist and a parent, based in London. The charity she co-founded ‘Before Becoming a Parent’ has organised courses for teenagers at school about good parenting, and Babywatching sessions for classes of six-year-olds.

 

• ‘Very impressive book!’  Dr Henri Parens

• Thank you for researching the subject so well. I do hope Volume One gets the attention it deserves. Despite being so important, the subject of preparation for parenthood keeps on being downgraded as a suitable topic for secondary education.’ Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer

• ‘It is a huge piece of work. It is timely.’ Sue Palmer

• ‘You organize material well and write beautifully. I hope the book will receive the attention it so richly deserves.’ Randi Rubenstein

• ‘Congratulations on making a huge subject easily readable.’ Nicolette Golding

• ‘You’re tackling a very important subject.’ Dr Neil Hawkes, Values-based Education

• ‘After a lifetime in education, and as a father to three children, I have concluded that nothing matters more than good parenting. It is only after our children have grown up that we learn how we should have done it. This book could not possibly be on a more important subject.’ Sir Anthony Seldon 

• ‘This book should be on the curriculum of all teacher training courses.’ Penelope Leach CBE

• ‘I hope that this book reaches the right people who have the power to influence those who can fund and support the projects, all intended to further a kind, compassionate, empathic, insightful and reflective world.’ Caroline Mousley

 

£10 ISBN 978-1-838-662-8-5 (volume one)

2022 Published by Before Becoming a Parent charity 118082