A week last Wednesday marked the end to a remarkable television programme - Jamie's Dream School. It was about chef Jamie Oliver who invited twenty students aged between 16 and 18 to a converted school for two months, being taught by intelligent celebrities.
These children have failed most, if not all their GCSEs and Jamie knew it was going to be a task to persuade them back into education. However, Jamie himself only passed two GCSEs when he was at high school. He said he "hated school" but found his talent in cooking which eventually got him his fame and fortune.
He bought celebrities such as ex spin doctor Alastair Campbell and human rights lawyer Cherie Blair who were educated in places such as Cambridge and Oxford. Mr. Oliver also got people from across the Atlantic to help him out alongside an award-winning head teacher. Doesn't sound too bad, does it?
At first, the children took too much for granted. They were loud and disruptive as you would expect from them as they behaved the same in their high school. As Jamie rightly points out though "I didn't invite you here for a laugh." So some of the teenagers were more settled than others.
Alastair Campbell made a positive start in his classes giving them something to debate about, making politics fun - how it should be. David Starkey on the other hand showed his inexperience as a teacher by calling one of the students "fat".
A fiesty exchange between the pair was not the start which neither of them wanted. Starkey took some time off reflecting and came back with a different, and better strategy - not being a snoot and getting people interested in history again. "How tall is Henry VIII?" Classic.
Actor Simon Callow was a popular lecturer. His English classes took the children to the famous theatres, saw productions and made his students rehearse scenes from Romeo & Juliet. His classes encouraged them to engage with each other.
Engagement and interaction seemed to be the theme for the two months. In schools nowadays, we have to wake everyday to, apart from Physical Education and sit from 9am to 3.30pm every morning writing and writing, not getting much out of it.
Every parent and I'm sure every child would want to succeed in education but not everybody is interested in maths, science or english. It takes eleven or so years of dedication and hard work. Not all of us are the same.
There are some of us who want to concentrate on getting an education and go to University but there are people such as the 20 students in Jamie's Dream School who deny the minority opportunities. 300,000 students every year fail their GCSEs and the education system has to change.
The classes shown on Jamie's Dream School was almost like a fantasy. No "normal" school is going to provide lessons like that and not all prefer practical sessions. I'm the sort to appreciate a bit of both.
In my high school when I left in 2007, 36% of 16-year olds passed five or more GCSEs which isn't good compared to the other schools in the city of Cardiff. The school's budget isn't going to help as every child deserves the best education because the way they're taught is also the way they are raised. If some children are disruptive, the rest will be disruptive which is frustrating for the teacher who also, like the students have to get up early in the morning.
But Jamie's Dream School was there to inspire loads of young people and I am so relieved that some have made it to University already. Well done, Jamie! Hope for a new series.
These children have failed most, if not all their GCSEs and Jamie knew it was going to be a task to persuade them back into education. However, Jamie himself only passed two GCSEs when he was at high school. He said he "hated school" but found his talent in cooking which eventually got him his fame and fortune.
He bought celebrities such as ex spin doctor Alastair Campbell and human rights lawyer Cherie Blair who were educated in places such as Cambridge and Oxford. Mr. Oliver also got people from across the Atlantic to help him out alongside an award-winning head teacher. Doesn't sound too bad, does it?
At first, the children took too much for granted. They were loud and disruptive as you would expect from them as they behaved the same in their high school. As Jamie rightly points out though "I didn't invite you here for a laugh." So some of the teenagers were more settled than others.
Alastair Campbell made a positive start in his classes giving them something to debate about, making politics fun - how it should be. David Starkey on the other hand showed his inexperience as a teacher by calling one of the students "fat".
A fiesty exchange between the pair was not the start which neither of them wanted. Starkey took some time off reflecting and came back with a different, and better strategy - not being a snoot and getting people interested in history again. "How tall is Henry VIII?" Classic.
Actor Simon Callow was a popular lecturer. His English classes took the children to the famous theatres, saw productions and made his students rehearse scenes from Romeo & Juliet. His classes encouraged them to engage with each other.
Engagement and interaction seemed to be the theme for the two months. In schools nowadays, we have to wake everyday to, apart from Physical Education and sit from 9am to 3.30pm every morning writing and writing, not getting much out of it.
Every parent and I'm sure every child would want to succeed in education but not everybody is interested in maths, science or english. It takes eleven or so years of dedication and hard work. Not all of us are the same.
There are some of us who want to concentrate on getting an education and go to University but there are people such as the 20 students in Jamie's Dream School who deny the minority opportunities. 300,000 students every year fail their GCSEs and the education system has to change.
The classes shown on Jamie's Dream School was almost like a fantasy. No "normal" school is going to provide lessons like that and not all prefer practical sessions. I'm the sort to appreciate a bit of both.
In my high school when I left in 2007, 36% of 16-year olds passed five or more GCSEs which isn't good compared to the other schools in the city of Cardiff. The school's budget isn't going to help as every child deserves the best education because the way they're taught is also the way they are raised. If some children are disruptive, the rest will be disruptive which is frustrating for the teacher who also, like the students have to get up early in the morning.
But Jamie's Dream School was there to inspire loads of young people and I am so relieved that some have made it to University already. Well done, Jamie! Hope for a new series.
Comments
Post a Comment