Educating Essex !!!

[StevieBee]

For point of balance, it is worth pointing out that the County has 5 of the top ten highest performing schools in the country in terms of GCSE and A level results.

[lockhart flawse]

I am pretty stunned that this was a documentary - I watched about 10 minutes at the behest of my eldest son while waiting for QT to start and genuinely thought I was watching one of those spoof programmes until I saw this thread.

My God - how on earth have we ended up with our schools like this? In part it's because of people like Carmelita's parents or, quite likely, parent but the teaching establishment and the Polytechnic Left have a lot to answer for.

L.F.

[Eric Mc]

In many cases, TV at the moment is insidious and essentially evil. It just wants to outrage people and reinforce stereotypes in an effort to garner ratings.

This is ste TV of the highest order and is best avoided - or your own brain will be infected and affected by what is essentially mind rotting drivel, sloppy programming and lazilly put together mush.

[the hack]

Anyone else notice that the school didn't seem to have a single non-white face in it (staff or teachers). Do ethnic minorities not live in that area??

[barmonkey]

Eric Mc said:

In many cases, TV at the moment is insidious and essentially evil. It just wants to outrage people and reinforce stereotypes in an effort to garner ratings.

This is ste TV of the highest order and is best avoided - or your own brain will be infected and affected by what is essentially mind rotting drivel, sloppy programming and lazilly put together mush.

I'm sorry, but - with resepect - I could not disagree with that any more if I tried. I would much rather watch this than Cash in the Homes Under the Hammmer Hunt or whatever else they chuck out on daytime TV fronted either by some bizarrely bespectacled presenter or Gloria Hunniford. I thought this was insightful, not at all sensationalist and simply left people to draw their own conclusions, as did 24 Hours in A & E which was very similar in style.

For what it's worth, I think the programme went a long way to highlight the sterling work of the teachers who were coping admirably considering the challenges they face day by day and the limp-wristed powers at their disposal to deal with them.

[Eric Mc]

But why do programme makers want to highlight the worst of everyhing.

Can we not see a documentary about a school where the kids are positive, bright and keen?

Surely they warrant a mention too.

[pincher]

Because the programme is primarily about the teachers, hence the title? If it were about the pupils it would be 'Being educated in Essex'

[monkey gland]

I hope that episode will be admissible as evidence when Carmelita () inevitably makes a false rape accusation at some point during hor sordid, tragic life.

[Eric Mc]

monkey gland said:

I hope that episode will be admissible as evidence when Carmelita () inevitably makes a false rape accusation at some point during hor sordid, tragic life.

Is this actually all that funny?

[monkey gland]

Eric Mc said:

monkey gland said:

I hope that episode will be admissible as evidence when Carmelita () inevitably makes a false rape accusation at some point during hor sordid, tragic life.

Is this actually all that funny?

It is not funny in the slightest. Her first reaction of lying about being grabbed by the deputy-head was utterly horrifying.

I am laughing at her name and the stereotype of the connection between ludicrous names and vile behaviour.

[vixen1700]

Didn't watch it, but I get annoyed about the tarring of the same old sterotypical brush when it comes to Essex. 'Educating Essex', Essex is a vast and diverse county with plenty of good about it, if it was some sthole school in Torquay, would it be 'Educating Devon'? if it was a posh school in Kensington would it be 'Educating London'?

Of course not! Sort out yer lazy stereotypes at Channel 4, you poncey Nathan Barley lookalikes from Stoke Newington researchers.

[Eric Mc]

monkey gland said:

Eric Mc said:

monkey gland said:

I hope that episode will be admissible as evidence when Carmelita () inevitably makes a false rape accusation at some point during hor sordid, tragic life.

Is this actually all that funny?

It is not funny in the slightest. Her first reaction of lying about being grabbed by the deputy-head was utterly horrifying.

I am laughing at her name and the stereotype of the connection between ludicrous names and vile behaviour.

Thats what I thought. Encouraging us as an audience to laugh at and mock those who may have serious problems is not the way society should be going, in my opinion. As I said earlier, an awful form of programming created by the media savvy hooray Henrys and Henriettas who are all too prevelant in the London based media is centered on this "look at and laugh at those idiots" school of thought.

Utterly shameful.

[furtive]

the hack said:

Anyone else notice that the school didn't seem to have a single non-white face in it (staff or teachers). Do ethnic minorities not live in that area??

I saw quite a few non-white pupils actually.

[V8mate]

Using remotely controlled cameras (as in the recent series The Hotel) the programme makers are able to succesfully capture people acting naturally as they soon become invisible to the people in the building. Then, being able to pull the protagonists out for 'quiet' interview, really adds to the humanity.

All of the 'naughty' kids were able to present themselves clearly and with some mitigation in their 'interviews' and it offered the viewer a proper opportunity to take several goes at deciding what they thought about each individual, whether teacher or people. In my view, no-one came out of last night's programme looking entirely bad and I would describe that as a televisual success.

For me, one of the most empathetic moments was when the teachers were discussing how the viewers might react to the programme and their fears about how some things may be seen in a bad light. Again, it really demonstrated the commitment of the people involved - on both sides of the camera - to deliver an incisive view of contemporary school life.

I'll certainly be watching it again.

[pincher]

Eric Mc said:

Thats what I thought. Encouraging us as an audience to laugh at and mock those who may have serious problems is not the way society should be going, in my opinion. As I said earlier, an awful form of programming created by the media savvy hooray Henrys and Henriettas who are all too prevelant in the London based media is centered on this "look at and laugh at those idiots" school of thought.

Utterly shameful.

But that is the point - this is not about the pupils, even though they form some of the central 'characters' - it is about the teachers and what they are up against and how they deal with the day to day running of a modern school. It wouldn't be much of a programme if they only showed the teachers marking homework or eating lunch in the staff room.

If it had been set in (for example) Stowe School, you would have been moaning about all the braying Ruperts and Georginas and emphasis on lacrosse lessons......

[jesta1865]

Eric Mc said:

Thats what I thought. Encouraging us as an audience to laugh at and mock those who may have serious problems is not the way society should be going, in my opinion. As I said earlier, an awful form of programming created by the media savvy hooray Henrys and Henriettas who are all too prevelant in the London based media is centered on this "look at and laugh at those idiots" school of thought.

Utterly shameful.

to be honest i didn't think it encouraged us to mock anyone with a problem. what it did highlight for me is the ridiculous constraints on teachers (wife is one) and the fact that despite it all and with all the years of doing it, those teachers still try and see the best in their pupils.

the accusation of assault without cctv would and could have let to the guy losing his job / home / family. its all too easy these days for kids to hide behind that, or run home and complain to parents that do nothing to support the behaviour or education of their sons and daughters. to the point where this week my wife has had to deal with a 7 year old smacking another kid with a bucket and when he was told off shouted at her 'you can't tell me off its against my human rights'. sorry he has only learnt that crap from either his parents or the feckless articles on the telly IMHO

[williamp]

pincher said:

Eric Mc said:

Thats what I thought. Encouraging us as an audience to laugh at and mock those who may have serious problems is not the way society should be going, in my opinion. As I said earlier, an awful form of programming created by the media savvy hooray Henrys and Henriettas who are all too prevelant in the London based media is centered on this "look at and laugh at those idiots" school of thought.

Utterly shameful.

But that is the point - this is not about the pupils, even though they form some of the central 'characters' - it is about the teachers ......

This is how they see it on the channel 4 od site. Remember those are 15/16 year old girls they have got to pose like that- all about the teachers??

[KrazyIvan]

williamp said:

This is how they see it on the channel 4 od site. Remember those are 15/16 year old girls they have got to pose like that- all about the teachers??

Oh my god.........when did Grand Designs come back on?

[pincher]

williamp said:

This is how they see it on the channel 4 od site. Remember those are 15/16 year old girls they have got to pose like that- all about the teachers??

Hmmmm - looks like I may need to revise my earlier statement

[MiniMan64]

pincher said:

williamp said:

This is how they see it on the channel 4 od site. Remember those are 15/16 year old girls they have got to pose like that- all about the teachers??

Hmmmm - looks like I may need to revise my earlier statement

I think your earlier statment is correct, the show is primarly about education and teachers. If Channel 4 decide to advertise it as something with 16 year old girls in short skirts then that's their mistake.

As a teacher I'm finding the mix of reactions on this thread very interesting indeed, quite the full range of reactions.