Cheap trick.

Although there was one gem in the whole overblown nonsense of a circus huckster's game of illusion - one teacher pointed out that many younger parents are not on our side.

They still see any formal authority as on the side of the bad, something to be fought against, something to be challenged, angrily.

That part I recognised: not from parents, but from their miniaturised pre-teen mouthpieces in the classroom.

Simon turns up for the first time in twelve weeks, and is indignant that he hasn't had information that he couldn't be bothered to show face at class to collect. Growling and rebarbative, despite my softly-softly approach, he tosses over his shoulder as he walks straight out again: "My mum could ruin this school. She could write to the paper about what you lot are like."

Simon hasn't lived with mum until very recently. Rather lamely, I offer up an opinion about how working to bolster the reputation of the school you choose to attend may have a domino effect on the value of your qualifications. Lamely because if he hasn't yet acquired the maturity to take responsibility for the consequences of his non-attendance, he's unlikely to recognise the deliberately palliative logic of my words.

Simultaneously, I wonder about the maturity of the mum whose words he's repeating. The mum who patently needs Simon to think it's him and her against the whole world right now. Somewhat less than long term thinking.
Supportive parent, that one.