Second part last night and what a good insiteful programe it was,a group of disfunctional kids all with skills for life that where unused in normal school life where being educated by some seriously top people.

The thing that came over was the kids had missed out on the socialisation of a normal school, being branded as naughty, disfunctional or just not interested in education,and then had that role reinforced in them by the system.

Even David Starkey who last week refused to return, came back and apologised to a lad he called fat the week before, and the lad apologised back, just proves what you can achieve when you say sorry.

Teacher should be paid more …

no, the kids were all knobs, not disfunctional, just knobs

Starkey was wrong in saying what he said but I’d have walked out on the class after 2 minutes

I don’t understand why they didn’t get super teachers to do it rather than celebrities? Well, I do know why, but it is annoying that the message is ‘teachers failed these kids, we’d better get some proper experts in’. Highlight the talents of the country’s best teachers, raise the profile of great teachers everywhere, show them some appreciation not the same celebrities we see all the time.

Why don’t they drop Jamie Oliver into Afghanistan, he seems to be capable of sorting everything out apparently 🙄

Why don’t they drop Jamie Oliver into Afghanistan, he seems to be capable of sorting everything out apparently

Well at least he’s trying to do a bit of good in the world when he could be off somewhere hot and sunny spending more time with his money.

How many young people’s life chances have you improved today bigbloke?

I think what they shoudl be teaching those kids is not history or art or anything but how to listen and communicate.

They’re not really ready/prepared to be educated.

” Well at least he’s trying to do a bit of good in the world when he could be off somewhere hot and sunny spending more time with his money.

How many young people’s life chances have you improved today bigbloke? “

So he’s doing it for free?

no idea but he could be making more money by sticking to his cookery business

You didn’t answer my question by the way.

I don’t usually watch anything like this but saw the programme yesterday. Never actually watched Jamie Oliver before and I find him so refreshing. He has such passion and feel that he genuinely wants to help.

But, on the other hand, I find it quite worrying that children such as these are falling by the wayside. Don’t believe it’s just a case of “engaging” them, sometimes they need to be removed from a particular environment for any change to happen. We didn’t hear of their family life and one can only suspect that this has a lot to answer for.

Depressing actually. 🙂

Oh sorry….None outside of my young family.

* Next week, Jamie installs a heating system, designs a bridge and paints some new zig-zag lines outside of the Co-op in Ryton

Well at least he’s trying to do a bit of good in the world when he could be off somewhere hot and sunny spending more time with his money.

This^

Don’t believe it’s just a case of “engaging” them, sometimes they need to be removed from a particular environment for any change to happen. We didn’t hear of their family life and one can only suspect that this has a lot to answer for.

I’m sure their home life is a mess and bad parenting has a lot to do with it. But at some point the excuses have to stop and they have to get the message that its them and not the big bad world that’s the problem.

Actually, it would be really useful to have some input from teachers.

I do feel that the current education system is failing many children due to the emphasis on academia. More practical subjects are needed, ie when mine were at school, they each spent one term on Home Economics/Cookery in the whole of the senior school. More life skills need to be taught.

More practical subjects are needed, ie when mine were at school, they each spent one term on Home Economics/Cookery in the whole of the senior school. More life skills need to be taught.

Agreed again but to be a car mechanic, plumber joiner, cook you still need to be able to read, write and do arithmetic

you can often see on their first day at school which kids are going to be the ones to fail in the education system.

My wife had children arrive at school, aged 4 who had never held a reading book or written with a pen, couldn’t talk in sentences and had no idea how to listen to an adult and do what they were asked. They’ve lost before they start.

I’m sure their home life is a mess and bad parenting has a lot to do with it. But at some point the excuses have to stop and they have to get the message that its them and not the big bad world that’s the problem.

They don’t know how to listen, probably parent/s haven’t shown any interest or just moaned at them, have no respect for others particularly elders. Probably never had a positive/encouraging word said to them.

Not easy to move on from that.

Not easy to move on from that

Yes and it might be too late. Like wwaswas said above the damage is done very early on.

Trouble is when they hit the big bad world with their bad attitudes and lack of social skills thinking it owes them a living the big bad world is going to hit them back. Hopefully some of them will get a shock and be able to sort themselves out but a lot won’t

As a different perspective – I saw in Canada the amount of time, money and effort the parent put into their kids

The kids are amazingly well behaved in general but suprisingly stupid for all the effort involved

I’m not sure what the answer is but I applaud Jamie for making the effort he does – whether paid or not

2 of the lads where living on their own in social housing, and one girl was bulied because she announced she was Bi, strangely non of the kids held these problems agianst each other.

The tutors that where teaching educating the kids where all experts in their own fields, and where passing on their skills, and knowledge.

I really chuckled at just how tame it all was! These ‘dysfunctional’ kids are pretty normal in an inner city comp. There is a veiled insult in the programme as a whole though, that teaching isn’t a skill in itself but anyone who’s an expert in their area can impart that knowledge effectively.

If I can get all anecdotal, the kid who wrecked a colleague’s Ofsted lesson did so because his mum was being released rom jail that day and his emotions/ social adjustment dial was all the way up to cuckoo. His mum was jailed for stabbing and killing his dad so a bit of a rum one. The Ofsted inspector wasn’t interested though cos he hadn’t evidenced progression in the lesson.

It’s all a bit mad in our school…

Almost every day i work in a different house and nearly every house doesnt have any adult or childrens books, just lots of dvs, and a games controller, the kids get put in front of the tv, and the adults in front of a computer screen, conversation is non existent between them, sometimes we meet a child whjo is really interested in what we are doing, and the parents are totally shocked at how responsive their child has become.

Homophobic bullying is not just rife in schools it’s positively normal. The term ‘gay’ is in constant use, although actually gay students tend to manage okay.

The notion that kids aren’t mean to each other is frankly barking. We’ve just had to transfer a pupil beacuse her mum was caught up in a pornography ring and she (the kid) was being quite severely bullied for it, ‘your ma’s a slag’ is difficult to dispute when the bully’s got video evidence.

Yep, absolutely true, there are some kids who can be turned on to education when it’s offered but there is a significant minority (possibly even a tragic majority) who are so de-socialised that they emulate and reflect their parents model instinctively.

And the house you describe sounds like most, they’re not rare. The one’s with no floor boards or curtains are the ones that really get to you though.

OK, so by the end of the series, will a difference have been made?

Should resources be used to help these teenagers?

* Next week, Jamie installs a heating system, designs a bridge and paints some new zig-zag lines outside of the Co-op in Ryton

Could he not extend the parking for the Co-Op onto that massive bit of wasted grass in teh centre of Ryton as well.

Why doesn’t Jamie Oliwanker go to those kids homes and show their parents how to socialise their kids and behave towards them

Or even better he could adopt some kids and bringt them up properly, do a documentary on it to show people how to properly socialise children before they get to school and when they are at home.

Was gonna create a new post on the topic of education but might as well have a rant in here anyway, so here’s my tuppence:

JO’s Dream School IMO is borne out of his passion to see kids do better for themselves/take responsibility/take action/believe in themselves/and generally make something of their lives. I believe part of his personal inspiration comes from getting fed up with employing young British workers who end up jacking in the job because they don’t like hard graft. Hence he admitted getting far more productivity from eastern Europeans and such.

Anyway, my take on his school project is pretty damning so far. I genuinely believe his heart is in the right place, but the methods of “delivery” are generally not “right”. The kids need to be coached on respect (for self and for others), the importance of listening and communicating, and loads of other “personal” skills before being unleashed in the classroom. How many are just sat there playing with the phones/laptops or talking with each other? WTF is that all about? Someone bring in some ground rules please. How can you reach out (and embrace) an audience that doesn’t give a toss about anything you have to say (or indeed share)?

Put the academic bullshit to one side and bring in some youth coaches. Get the kids to understand their actions (and the consequences of) and see where the wheat (in this group) can be separated from the chaff.

Give them a voice. Let them be heard. Have them qualify (justify) their arguments and POV. Those that back themselves into an indefensible corner can then be dealt with in one way, and those that actually wake up from their bullshit coma might then be prepared to make the change.

It’s not **** rocket science. Education in this country stinks. This generation of youth are in a bad place and it’s probably going to take half a gen at least to start coming out the other side (provided enough appropriate is taken from now onwards). Coaching is key, not sitting them (and every other pupil in this country) and teaching them everything from Shakespeare to algebra and photo-synthesis to the value of tin mining in Bogata. Bring some real **** life to the table. Make it relevant. FFS.

All IMHO of course.

spacemonkey for Headmaster. 🙂

Some very valid points there, particularly getting them to understand their actions.

I must confess that watching, for example, David Starkey and Simon Callow, no wonder they were bored and misbehaved.

On another point, presumably schools had effectively ‘given up’ on these teenagers? Had they actually slipped through the net by not getting the help they needed, or indeed their parent’s receiving help in how to parent?

mmm … as someone who was ‘excluded’ from the education system at 14 – expelled was what we called it in my day -it’s been interesting to watch this. Frankly some of them appear (but this I’d tv, so who knows in reality!) to be arrogant, self indulgent, and with a complete lack of respect for anyone, but others also come across as having more complex issues and if you could get underneath their protective outer attitude, then some great young people would emerge.

Not sure about the ‘famous people as inspiration’ (although ellen MacArthur was pretty good), and agree that it would have been better with showing the impact that some of the best teachers can have.

As for me, well the origins of why I was expelled started with some really agressive bullying, but now I have ended up with 3 degrees (BA, masters and PhD), and am now head of research for a government agency, so I guess every ‘troubled teenager’ isn’t a complete loss. Oh, and the person who really helped me turn everything around was a truely inspirational and supportive college tutor 🙂

spacemonkey for Headmaster

I was involved in a very cool transformative coaching programme (for kids) about 4-5 years ago. It was a global collaborative and we nearly got a book deal, but it didn’t work out. Some of the others are still beavering away though and it’s still my ultimate ambition to transform the way kids are educated.

presumably schools had effectively ‘given up’ on these teenagers?

Friends of mine who teach (or used to teach) have become increasingly pissed off with the shit they have they to deal with. Partly from “the system” and partly from the kids. Academic targets mean bullshit. Education begins at home and is nurtured everywhere else – that includes the classroom, the playground, the playing fields, the green, the street, and everywhere else. No wonder so many are disassociated from reality. **** me right off.

Nice one Sue. Good to hear you made your way through “the system”.

I believe everyone has the potential to “change for the better”, regardless of whatever situation they are in or the self-limiting beliefs they “suffer” etc. Like you say, not every “problem child” or “troubled teen” has to be a loser.

We are all creative, resourceful and whole.

Responsibility + Action = Results

When did it become a television channel or celebrity’s place to attempt to rectify failings in our education system?
This sort of “crusade for good” television is more than questionable.

I would be more than happy to devote the rest of my life to works of charity if I had several million in the bank 😉

I think JO’s heart is in the right place but not so sure about using “celebrities” to teach the kids. Just because you appear on TV and are an expert on your subject does not mean you can teach.
In my experience you need to have a good teacher for more than just a couple of lessons. The best teachers I had, and ones I respected the most, were those that acknowledged you as they walked around the school, not just in lessons, the ones that seemed to actually care.

Watched 1st episode with Miss Sidney last week who is an art teacher. Quite a few of her colleagues are a little peed off at the implication JO can fix education all by himself. He’s got a great point on school nutrition but teaching?

I think it was quite telling when JO saw how the kids behave by not listening to the teacher and talking over one another he realised a) that he was probably like that at one point and b) how hard and annoying it is to work with kids like that.

My wife had children arrive at school, aged 4 who had never held a reading book or written with a pen, couldn’t talk in sentences and had no idea how to listen to an adult and do what they were asked. They’ve lost before they start

My wife has similar experience as a KS1/reception co ordinator. One highlight was being told to ‘f off you f-ing bitch’. By a 4 year old. She doesn’t even work in a particularly deprived area.

There is an argument that we start formal education to early though – I work around a lot of Europe where formal education isn’t started till 6-7 (more learning through play) – as soon as mine started there was a pen in his hand, number lines etc. graded books. Children get branded in ability sets when things like maturity and social skills are yet to level out.

I reckon the education system in this country needs a proper shake up. We don’t educate kids anymore, just teach them how to pass exams. A lot of teachers (I accept it’s not all of them) are far too happy just to go through the motions and pick up the pay cheque every month. Kids who can’t be pigeonholed get left behind. We need more inspirational teachers, people who actually can and want to make a difference. I reckon this program goes some way to highlighting that

A lot of teachers (I accept it’s not all of them) are far too happy just to go through the motions and pick up the pay cheque every month

They have to do what the government asks, i.e. teach the national curriculum etc, hit their exam targets, or else they get the sack. Many (most?) teachers dislike the current system. Any reforms need to come from the top-down.

Does anyone remember a series simular were ‘naughty’ children were sent to a super school during summer holidays? It was about 5 years ago.

The English teacher they had was amazing, he got them all motivated and under control using some bizarre methods. I remember them practicing Shakespere lines by shouting them at cows.