According to Blackstone and Mortimore, working class parents are more likely to miss parents' evenings because...

• A. They are uninterested in their child's education.
• B. They have long working hours and lack time.
• C. They prefer to attend other activities.
• D. They distrust the school system.

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is how practical constraints shape parental involvement in schooling. Blackstone and Mortimore argue that working-class parents miss parents’ evenings not because they don’t care or don’t trust the school, but because their jobs impose long hours and leave little time available for evening events. Attending often requires taking time off work, arranging childcare, and traveling to the school, all of which can mean sacrifices in wages or other obligations. These time constraints act as real barriers that reduce attendance, even when parents value their child’s education.

Other explanations—disinterest, a preference for other activities, or distrust of the school—don’t fit as well with their findings, which emphasize structural, time-related barriers rather than lack of motivation or belief in the school’s value.