Jamie's Dream School

[londonone]

20 in a class
No curriculum
TV Cameras

And they still piss around! Maybe people will start to get a real idea about how perhaps some of the students are in fact not vitims but the architects of their own downfall!

'I couldn't work out what Jamie is trying to prove either, just maybe it is an experiment and we'll all find out a bit more about motivation, teaching and dis-engaged young people'

umm Jamie isn't trying to 'prove' anything. It is a paying job which boosts his coffers and promotes his image.That's his motivation!

princessparty I couldn't have put it better myself!
Jamie Oliver only does what suits JO and brings in the dosh but he pretends he's being oh-so-caring and altruistic in the process. I feel sorry for these youngsters. They have had a raw deal and this is not helping them to come to grips with reality, quite the opposite.
Jamie's Nightmare School might be a better title.

nottirednow "the schools that have allowed them to think they deserve respect when behaving so badly." I think that even badly behaved students deserve some basic respect; it's not acceptable to just write them off, surely?

IME science teachers would love to be doing dissection but it's H&S rules that are imposed way above the heads of staff in schools - and even SLT - that prevent it from happening.

Jamie went to school in a different era when dyslexia was rarely recognised. Now we test kids at the drop of a hat so he really can't use the education system's failure in his own case as a reason to try and better something that he has no experince or, apparently, knowledge of.

I thought the program was patronising as hell and the thing that pissed me off most was the fact that, at no point, did anyone say, "fuck me, I've got new-found respect for the people who actually choose to do this as their day job because it's really not that easy!"

The only person who admitted that their failure was their own fault and not down to the "disrespectful" teachers was the dysfunctional posh kid.

Oh and we don't "allow" students to show a lack of manners. There are always sanctions for behaving the way that the kids in the program did in real schools; the one sensible thing that Starkey said was that you have to have clear rules and guidelines which is what the majority of secondary schools do have.

I think often, when it comes to the last resort, the problem is that kids know that it is very difficult for them to be permanently excluded thse days (and, according to the new white paper, it's going to become nigh-on impossible).

I think the whole David Starkey thing was a setup - either the producers asked him to be controversial deliberately, or when they were deciding which well-known specialists to invite to participate in the show, they asked him because they knew his views and approach would be a strong contrast to the others.

I wonder whether he realised quite how badly he would come off?

Personally I've always preferred learning telly history from Simon Schama. Although he does love himself quite a lot.

a voice of reason in the wilderness

Only watched 10 minutes of it. It seemed like a cross between I am a celebrity get me out of here and Grange Hill. My only thought was why are those kids allowed mobile phones in the classroom?

Starkey said what ever teacher would say - you need rules and you need to enforce them. By not having any, giving those children lap tops and letting them text in class and come and go at will you make the programme how it is which is the purpose of it. It culd have been done differently but then no one would have seen the same disruption and its point would never have been made.

I reckon that they allowed mobile phones because they knew that the pupils would then text etc during lessons and cause a scene with the teachers.

What place is this, where you're brought up not to be able to sit at a task to earn a means to live?

Do you not think this is doing a grave disservice to a human being, a child even, to teach them thus, or indulge them in such?

No society can sustain such, or will, is it not the failure of the parent, to visit such ideas on their own children?

But now they are legally adults. What to do now?

Go on pretending the world will sustain such?

My god, whose folly has brought this on the populace, that you can go with no work and spout off?

feral - it's an interesting point about dyslexia. Dyscalculia is at the point where dyslexia was in the early 80s. Newly identified so (some) teachers scoff at it and insist on labelling and treating children as thick. (This is happening now to my friend's daughter. She has a proper diagnosis from a fully qualified and expert specialist but that ain't good enough for her school.

We are starting not to be able to afford it so we'll have to see how things go. Hopefulyl the universal benefit will help. Part of the inability to concentrate will be lack for ules in that school. Another part will be their upbringing at home. Some may have AHD. A large number will not be eating whole foods which lead to the ability to concentrate.

really interesting breakdown of JO's own teaching style

Not re-educated, but re-parented.

That was really interesting Aitch but so true. He does seem to have a natural ability

Yes Jamie's lesson seems great - read the transcript but didn't actually watch it. Was there any writing involved? One of my personal bugbears is that there is too much writing and it switches kids off.

Great link Aitch.

Great link, and yes, think he is natural teacher. Wish I could spend my days teaching cooking tho cos everyone would much rather do that. (Who wouldn't) but we are required to teach a curriculum, which is does not always lend itself to such immediate appeal...

I watched Jamie's lesson on Youtube and was very impressed. It was watching it that has made me think that he really is interested in this. I don't think it is that unreasonable to consider that someone who has been successful in their field and has made a load of money, would like to contribute for the good of others.
I also watched Cherie Blair's about Human Rights and was quite disappointed. They seem aware of their rights, she could have pushed the idea of responsibilities a bit more explicitly.

Hi all... I have started to get apprehensive about aoppearing in the next episode.. especially as I am in the States so havent watched any of the programmes yet.You suddenly realise what a bit of nifty editing can do... will I be shown as completely hopeless (and there is no doubt they will have some really bad bits on camera, especially in lesson one!).. or will I be shown as completely hopeless to start with, then beginning to get the hang of it, managing to get half of them to actually read a Latin poem and finally feeling comfortable enough top say to the class (whom I did get to like).. 'look everyone, how do YOU think teachers should keep order?" I hope the latter, but fear the former!
Oh dear more AA Gill material I suspect...

FEAR NOT, lovely Mary Beard. thanks to job not dissimilar to Gill i have seen up to ep 4 and you are quite adorable. especially the chat you have with kendra.
ave atque vale, enjoy the states.

in fact thinking about it your 'storyline' is exactly as you would like it to be.

(apart from you not being hopeless to start with as the youngsters being wee diddies).