I just caught the tail end of this new Channel 4 series – you can watch it on 4oD.
The series synopsis is as follows: Jamie Oliver brings together some of Britain’s most inspirational individuals to see if they can persuade 20 young people who’ve left school with little to show for the experience to give education a second chance.
It doesn’t actually say much about the “young people” involved. After seeing this first episode, it hammered home to me why I decided that a career in teaching was not for me! These “young people” were the reason.
To be fair, they know they’re on TV and it’s probably the most exciting thing that has happened – or ever will happen – in their lives. So they’re most likely behaving even more brattishly than they did when they were at school the first time. They all talk at the same time in squealy chav voices, and won’t shut up.
One of the specialist teachers (David Starkey, a renowned historian) was slated by the “headmaster” for trying to deal with the little hooligans head on. It seems the only acceptable way to teach them is to give them lots of expensive treats and lavish lessons – how many schools can afford to ship in mediaeval jousting shows, and whole dead pigs for biology classes? Why waste the money on these useless morons? The Guardian’s review is typically right-on.
I’ll keep an eye on this one. Looks interesting. Next week, Simon Callow appears to lose his temper with them.