The Daily Telegraph reports today that the break up of the traditional family is leading to a generation of children who are increasingly relying on teachers to provide moral values according toJohn Dunford, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.

Speaking at the Association of School and College Leaders annual conference in Brighton yesterday, Mr Dunford said too many schools were being expected to deal with social problems rather than focus on education.

"It's perhaps a sad indictment on the present age that we accept the need to help parents to play their part - to rediscover what being a parent means," he said.

Mr Dunford said schools "can't and shouldn't replace the role of parents".

He said: "For some children schools have had to take the place of the institutions that used to set the boundaries of acceptable behaviour - that was fundamentally the family and the church.

"In relation to the family, one of the most important factors has been the loss of the family meal, which has reduced family conversation so that schools have more to do in teaching children to communicate.

"In terms of good manners and appropriate behaviour, primary schools have to teach children how to use a knife and fork and sit at a table."

Mr Dunford's comments came as new figures showed the full extent of the breakdown of the traditional family since Labour came to power.

According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 1,848,000 lone parents in Britain last year compared with 1,598,000 in 1997, an increase therefore of 250,000, many of whom are jobless.

According to research carried out by the charity Care last week, three out of four families would be financially better off living apart because of the way benefits are allocated.