2 + 2 = ?

Yesterday, we wrote about schools, teachers and management. It's an interesting topic, because few realise just exactly what goes on in the average school, and particularly the average secondary school.

If you left your own education behind many years ago, then you might be surprised to find out just how much things have changed.  Of course, some things haven't, and therein lies a problem.

We read a lot about 'failing schools' and 'special measures' and - if we're perfectly honest - those of us who don't have kids at school don't really care, while those of us who do only care about certain things: whether the child is being bullied, what times the school starts and finishes, what results the school is getting at GCSE and A level and whether our child seems to be happy there. School is, after all, a place of transition, a place in which we grow up, become influenced about many things, and eventually choose a career path.  The only time we start to care is when school kids - specifically secondary - start to have an impact on our lives. Then we all too often look around for someone to blame;  and it's usually the parents, followed by the school. But like all such issues, it's rarely that simple.

Blaming a bad teacher used to be commonplace and - to be fair - bad teachers were not that uncommon.  But what's the definition of a 'bad teacher'?  For this, you have to remember your own  secondary schooling.  Remember that teacher that couldn't control your class?  The one where you could do what you wanted?  The one you almost felt sympathy for? In Carneades' case, that was the science teacher.  Although it was a good boys' Grammar school, boys will be boys, and this inadequate was ritually dismembered each lesson by thirty or so pack members as he utterly failed to comprehend how a class should be controlled.  There was no reason, other than his own, staggering lack of capability, than he couldn't manage a group of 12 year old, fairly bright boys. But have things changed?

Although we might bemoan the parlous state of our young people, the fact is that most of the kids in our area are easily dealt with, generally pleasant and mainly inoffensive.  That acquiescence translates into 'easily controlled in the classroom', so the lot of most staff in the area is reasonably pleasant. Inadequate teachers, therefore, stand out more easily and can be identified, supported and - if all else fails -  become OFSTED inspectors.

No - that's not a joke.  Teachers with the most appalling records in classroom management do go on to become advisers and Inspectors. But why does classroom management matter so much?

Think back.  If you're honest, you probably didn't enjoy that lesson (where they couldn't control the class) that much.  You didn't learn much, because of all the noise, the trouble-makers made all the running, and you felt a little insecure, since order, predictability and security had gone out of the window, usually along with half the books and a variety of other missiles.  But there's a far more worrying aspect.

Badly behaved children are not clearly identified until the final years of the primary school. They are then sent up to the Secondary school, which has to make its own assessment of the degree of bad behaviour. That can take up to three years, because a lot of reports, paper work, sanctions, meetings, discussions and more have to be completed before any sort of firm action can be taken. During that time, if your child is a part of that class, you can assume that they'll learn precious little, because most of the class teacher's time will be taken up controlling and dealing with the trouble maker. That is a fact. There are usually one or two kids in any class who behave badly, but the problems really start when there are several. That can have a catastrophic effect on the learning potential of any class, and it's one reason why the demand for home tuition has never been as high.

In fact, there's now a growing body of opinion that favours home education, for many reasons.  And, apart from the bullying, swearing, aggression, disruption and general time wasting in schools, what is there to commend them as institutions? Perhaps we need something different.