UK Prime Minister David Cameron Calls For State-Backed Parenting Classes; Calls Them "Aspirational"

United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron has come out as a big supporter of parents signing up for stat-backed parenting lessons. According to him, these lessons teach parents "how to communicate, discipline, and play with their children."

Cameron wants to make going to parenting lessons the norm in Great Britain. He describes what the lessons should be as "aspirational," as said by Sky News. The United Kingdom PM is expected to deliver a keynote speech on Monday regarding the topic. He is expected to say "In the end, getting parenting and the early years right isn't just about the hardest-to-reach families; it's about everyone."

According to Sky, Cameron's move could possibly draw the ire of nanny-state interference. However, he seems ready to back his decision. Another line expected in his speech is: "Of course they don't come with a manual, but is it right that all of us get so little guidance?" It seems as though Cameron is ready to push through with a further backing of these parenting lessons.

He has stated that the medical needs of a new mother have greatly improved, but that only helps for the first few days of parenthood. It may extend to a couple of weeks, but that is still not enough. He asks about what will happen later on in the child's life "when it comes to play, communication, behaviour, and discipline." He says that parents need more help in this fields.

Funding is also expected to be increased for marriage and couples counselling, especially for couples with children. However, reports from the Daily Mail state that the popularity of these parenting lessons is growing at a slower rate than what was expected. "The classes are being introduced despite the failure of a scheme set up four years ago in the wake of the riots in London. Fewer than 3,000 turned up for the sessions - a fraction of the 20,000 expected," says the Daily Mail.