Educating Essex !!!
Discussion
I don't care who it "concentrates" on. Voyeurism as entertainment is not my cup of tea. It actually sickens me that a school has allowed itself to be exploited in this way. If I was teacher in this school I would resign.
And if the school was paid by Channel 4 for access (which no doubt it was), that depresses me even further.
I think TV is sinking to lower and lower levels as it dreams up new ideas to suck the viewers in. And Channel 4 seem to be the leaders in this style of programming.
And if the school was paid by Channel 4 for access (which no doubt it was), that depresses me even further.
I think TV is sinking to lower and lower levels as it dreams up new ideas to suck the viewers in. And Channel 4 seem to be the leaders in this style of programming.
the hack said:
Do ethnic minorities not live in that area??
More so now than this time last year. You would be forgiven for thinking you was in Lagos now! Not that its a bad thing, but you do wonder what has happend when there is a large arrival of a certain ethnic group over a short time for no apparent reason.
Adrian W said:
Bit odd, that school has been closed for two years for redevelopment, I live near Harlow, glad my kids go to school in Bishops Stortford
A big issue going on in Stortford right now with 2 schools wanting to move onto green belt land at edge of town, citing lack of school places as the reason, (nothing to do with the cash for selling off their prime current sites for housing then). No wonder there is a lack of places if they take out of area kids over local kids.I was quite impressed with the educating essex program and the teachers at that school. Cannot imagine any other comprehensive being much different with respect to the kids behavour. Judging by the phone call the girls mother is the culprit.
Well I found it interesting.
The teachers seemed to genuinely care about the kids. They had standards they wanted upholding and seemed to be doing a fair job. That girls mother was clearly the root of her problems. The other lass they seemed to be getting through to. It felt balanced and not over sensationalised towards the bad pupils although they are obviously going to feature more than well behaved ones.
The teachers seemed to genuinely care about the kids. They had standards they wanted upholding and seemed to be doing a fair job. That girls mother was clearly the root of her problems. The other lass they seemed to be getting through to. It felt balanced and not over sensationalised towards the bad pupils although they are obviously going to feature more than well behaved ones.
I found the programme funny. The 'documentary' was biased in that it showed the bad pupils rather than any students having a laugh with their teachers or clearly working hard. Believe it or not, some school kids do actually get some work done and can have a half decent time doing so.
Spanna said:
I found the programme funny. The 'documentary' was biased in that it showed the bad pupils rather than any students having a laugh with their teachers or clearly working hard. Believe it or not, some school kids do actually get some work done and can have a half decent time doing so.
That wouldn't be interesting though, would it ?Having come out of school probably a bit more recently than some of you folk, the teachers shown on this program look like a great bunch and the camaraderie between them was nice to see compared to the dull bunch at the schools i attended (in a relatively nice area)
I do wonder though, how much of it is a put-on for the cameras. Schools love to advertise themselves
I do wonder though, how much of it is a put-on for the cameras. Schools love to advertise themselves
pwrc said:
I do wonder though, how much of it is a put-on for the cameras. Schools love to advertise themselves
I'll find out - my mum works at the school...Interestingly the C4 website has some details of what happened to some of the kids after filming stopped, and that Carmelita girl passed 6 GCSEs a year early
furtive said:
I'll find out - my mum works at the school...
Interestingly the C4 website has some details of what happened to some of the kids after filming stopped, and that Carmelita girl passed 6 GCSEs a year early
Interesting.Interestingly the C4 website has some details of what happened to some of the kids after filming stopped, and that Carmelita girl passed 6 GCSEs a year early
Why did the school decide to do this?
Did they get paid by C4?
Did they get the agreement of the parents before they allowed the cameras in or allowed the footage to be shown?
What happened if any parents objected?
Eric Mc said:
I don't care who it "concentrates" on. Voyeurism as entertainment is not my cup of tea. It actually sickens me that a school has allowed itself to be exploited in this way. If I was teacher in this school I would resign.
And if the school was paid by Channel 4 for access (which no doubt it was), that depresses me even further.
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Have to disagree. I think a vast proportion of the population haven't got a clue what goes on at a modern school (including the parents of the kids that get sent there). Education has changed radically over the last few decades, and no amount of po-faced documentaries by well meaning experts will get across the reality of a modern school environment.And if the school was paid by Channel 4 for access (which no doubt it was), that depresses me even further.
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I can completely understand teachers wanting the general public to see the sort of groundless accusations, 'rights' and fights that they have to deal with on a weekly, if not daily basis.
The changes to educational policy made by successive governments is hugely influenced by the way the general public believes their children are being taught. Never mind what educational leaders tell us about our schools - we should look at that the reality is.
Eric Mc said:
Is that adequate?
I would have been extremely upset if I thought my child was going to feature in a programme to be braodcast over national TV without me being able to have any say in the final product. Pixellation is a sop to privacy and is not really that effective.
Really? A school hallway is no more private than a high street and I don't feel anyone should expect it to be - both pupils and teachers should behave exactly as would be expected in a normal public space. I would have been extremely upset if I thought my child was going to feature in a programme to be braodcast over national TV without me being able to have any say in the final product. Pixellation is a sop to privacy and is not really that effective.
The programme wasn't forcing the children to act in a way they wouldn't normally do - school life continued and the cameras were largely ignored. Is there something shameful about the behaviour of the pupils or teachers in your school?
Or is this a 'will someone think of the children' argument?
It is a very valid argument in this context. And a school hallway may have some atributes of the public highway but even the public highway is not viewable over the whole country.
I just think that the "mediasation" of society is invasive, corrosive and downright worrying.
If I was a parent I would have kicked up hell.
And I don't care if the pupils are angels or devils. I cannot see why they should be broadcast to the nation in this manner.
I just think that the "mediasation" of society is invasive, corrosive and downright worrying.
If I was a parent I would have kicked up hell.
And I don't care if the pupils are angels or devils. I cannot see why they should be broadcast to the nation in this manner.
Eric Mc said:
I just think that the "mediasation" of society is invasive, corrosive and downright worrying.
Whereas I feel that in the absence of strong local community and the socialising aspects of extended families, media is our new educator. We socialise, and learn our social skills and norms from the extended community of the internet and television. In the 50's there was the revolution of teenagers becoming an independent demographic, an identity and social grouping in its own right. We're now witnessing an extension of that as communities specialise even further. That means that tighter groups of more closely matched people find each other - but they do so at a distance and willingly exchange their 'privacy' to do so.
You regard it as society breaking down in the onslaught of media, I regard it as media stepping up as society goes through a seismic shift. Privacy isn't being removed, it's changing its shape. Whereas only a century or so ago you could assume no-one outside of your village would know what you did for a living, how old you were, who you were dating or how much money you had, we now routinely broadcast those things and widely regard them as unimportant pieces of information - who cares? On the other hand, we do expect to define privacy when we need it, when we actively stop broadcasting, switch off the mobile and close the curtains. It's a new world - not necessarily better, not necessarily worse, just different.
In that respect, it's allways a "new world" in that social and acceptable norms are constantly changing.
My main concern is that people don't allow themselves or, even worse, their children, to be exploited by media corporations in order for those corporations to bolster their coffers.
Modern media "socialising" is a different operation to TV programming - which is usually well outside the control of those who participate - unless safeguards are put into appearance agreements and contracts. I am never altogether sure if participants in these programmes are fully aware as to what they are getting involved in.
I sometimes wonder if the "glamour" of appearing on national TV affects peoples' capacity to make rational judgements.
My main concern is that people don't allow themselves or, even worse, their children, to be exploited by media corporations in order for those corporations to bolster their coffers.
Modern media "socialising" is a different operation to TV programming - which is usually well outside the control of those who participate - unless safeguards are put into appearance agreements and contracts. I am never altogether sure if participants in these programmes are fully aware as to what they are getting involved in.
I sometimes wonder if the "glamour" of appearing on national TV affects peoples' capacity to make rational judgements.
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