'How to be a good parent'- government offers free parenting lessons in bid to make society more responsible

50,000 families across the country have been chosen to trial a new parenting programme devised by the government in a bid to make society more responsible.

The classes have been designed for parents with children under the age of 5 and will provide training in communication, managing conflict, creating routine, stating boundaries and enforcing discipline.

The new scheme, driven by the coalition's pledge to improve the mind-set of society, will cost £5 million. Each chosen family will be offered £100 vouchers that pay for the sessions and organisations will bid for the contracts to provide them.

The programme rests on the basis that the first 5 years of a child's life are the most important. According to children's minister Sarah Teather, this period is the biggest factor in determining the child's future life chances, health and educational attainment.

Teather said: "parents have one of the toughest and most important jobs - but unlike so many other areas of our lives, they don't get a training manual or a how-to guide. All parents should know it's OK to ask for extra support and guidance when they need it - just as most do when they attend ante-natal classes before their child is born."

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