I completely agree with Plumber. Couldn’t watch it. Kids blame everyone else but themselves.

Should have got my bro-in-law to teach history – he’s even made front page of the Times website thanks to his teaching methods.

For example, he + his pupils actually dug out a proper WW1 trench in the school grounds (20m long, 2m deep..), and had all their history lessons in the bunker they build.

F–king ace!

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

I’d say the last thing it needs is a “proper shake up” – there have been far too many of them over the past 20-30 years. A little stability would help when it comes to drawing conclusions over whether or not the current system works – it’s impossible to say whether the problematic kids are a product of this system or the one that was in place 5/10/15 years ago.

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

Doubt it. Most of the teachers I know (Mrs C. also being one) are very pissed off by all the beaurocracy and “targets”. They *want* to nurture and teach children. It is successive governments who have eroded that side of teaching and stated that unless a school achieves whatever spurious target is set that month, then they are failing. OFSTEAD has done so much harm is beggars belief. Hopefully there will be a nice warm spot in hell for Chris Woodhead.

Sad thing is, I can only see things getting worse under the chinless wonder who is education secretary now.