How the other half learns

[roisin]

Did anyone see it last week? I'm looking forward to this week, I thought it was fascinated.

IMO the state school children completely missed the point about the discipline. In Wells Cathedral School (as in many independent schools in my experience) there is a firm underlying discipline, but the day-to-day nuts and bolts issues of motivation and behaving reasonably is left to the students.

In many state schools children are molly-coddled, bribed, cajoled, persuaded, rewarded, threatened with punishments, to do their homework/coursework, arrive on time, behave appropriately, etc. And it becomes a spiral where students to not expect to take responsibility for themselves for anything.

Sounds really interesting - when's it on? Is it a series?

State schools are so busy trying to impose order that they often fail on discipline.

As I recall Field Marshal Montgomery said that for discipline to be effective, must be optional.
By that he meant that if you're standing over someone, or putting bad things out of reach, you are not achieving discipline, merely order.
Discipline, like love, is something you have even when no one is looking.

Part of that is not down to state teachers, since they must deal with far more disruptive kids whose issues are often made worse by their parents.
No one, from any group has come up with any plausible way to deal with this issue. Yet beside this, issues like curriculum, tests etc are actually quite minor.

DC - I like your comment on discipline: I agree completely.

Zog - it's on Wednesday 8pm on Five.