Parents do not hesitate to write emails to complain to their child’s teacher. An approach that is increasingly frowned upon on social networks as a deterioration of good manners is deplored.
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The Autonomous Education Federation (FAE) revealed alarming data last December: 59% of respondents to a consultation carried out in spring 2025 perceive the education workplace as violent. Another observation: 53% of them say they experience violence by email.
Same story with the Federation of Education Unions (FSE-CSQ): teachers are victims or witnesses on a daily basis of acts of incivility, physical and verbal violence, in person or by email.
What topics are covered in parents’ emails? There is not much that escapes them, according to Richard Bergevin, president of the Federation of Education Unions (FSE-CSQ). “It goes in all directions: the lack of support, the grades not high enough, the lack of time devoted to their child. Teachers can receive threats of complaints to their school service center if they do not meet parents’ demands,” he explains.
On social networks, Internet users are attacking parents.
“I understand that we want to defend our child, it’s normal. But when do you think that disrespecting a teacher will help the situation? In the end, it doesn’t solve anything and it just makes things more tense,” wrote one user on Reddit.
The discussion continues: this lack of civility on the part of parents has been going on for too long, adds a user. Another adds to the child-kings, now become parents: they impose their whims and desires at the risk of having crises.
“The “child-kings” generation had offspring. Ask any school worker and it will be unanimous. The children are worse than before, the parents too. The apple rarely falls far from the tree,” he says.
A teacher brings her two cents: she doesn’t take anything personal. “Parents often just need to be reassured and know that their child is understood. I can understand it’s emotional when it’s your child. “This explains, but does not excuse the behavior of certain parents,” she says.
The limits of the teacher
In some cases, these emails show distress experienced by parents, explains Catherine Renaud, vice-president at the FAE.
“These are often matters beyond the control of the teacher and which end up landing in the office of the school principal. There are limits to what a teacher can do,” she says.
Teachers are not parents’ psychologists. It is children and adolescents who are in the scope of a teacher, explains Richard Bergevin.
“Parents can feel overwhelmed by a situation. They want things to move, to change for their child. This is where they will use inadequate means to achieve their end,” he explains.
