Depending on what that opinion is about, I beg to differ. When discussing the merits of a good education and the ability to spell correctly, teachers are as qualified as anyone, if not more so. When discussing the fact that, year in year out the standards of ability and attitude are getting worse, we are well within our rights to say it's an undeniable fact, because we have to deal with it on a daily basis. Granted, there's every chance poor teachers may be partly responsible for this, however we are not helped by kids following the example of parents who make no attempt to hide the lack of importance they place in correct spelling and grammar. Either way, standards in this country ARE going downhill, and I'm not sure which is worse - the fact that this is happening, or the fact that so few people seem to care.

Anyway, rant over - sorry to anyone I've offended, annoyed, or bored in any way - just a real bug bear of mine which rarely ever sems to get picked up on. Sorry to have disrupted this thread by going off on a tangent.

You're right - and probably on both counts - I do a lot of private tutoring each year because many teachers aren't doing their job correctly, and it's nothing short of a disgrace. Teaching is a 2 part job though, split equally between teachers and parents - sadly there are just as many kids being failed by their parents as there are being failed by teachers.

But teachers are paid to educate young people (remember, it was teachers who educated the parents of todays kids - so who is to blame that the kids are not being educated at home?)

Frankly teachers should be ashamed of themselves for the uneducated masses that are being turned out from our education system.

There does appear to have been a decline in the quality of teachers over the last few years, mainly because a lot of teachers now are incapable of controlling the class and are too busy trying to be friends with and to be liked by their pupils.
However since exam results have consistently gone up each year I'm not entirely sure how a massive decline in pupils abilities can be an "undeniable fact".

[sizeDont tell me, the exams are easier now!

Oldham rhino knows what he's talking about.

And therein lies the problem. In an ideal world, kids would be booted out of school permanently, and parents would be sent packing if their input was in any way counterproductive. Sadly however, we are now in a world where schools are businesses, bums on seats means money in the pot to buy resources, even if those bums are attached to future prison inmates, and Headteachers are worried about parents going to the papers with "they're failing my son" stories. If only they could bring back corporal punishment......

Fair comment. I have no qualms regarding my own ability - the results I achieve and the number of ex pupils I am still in touch with on a regular basis bear testimony to that. The system is flawed, but aren't all systems? However, there are some kids who are quite frankly unteachable, and may as well be locked up now to save someone the hassle of having to do it in a few years time, by which time they'll have no doubt seriously hurt someone or caused no end of problems along the way. From time to time does the idea of inflicting serious pain on one or two of these appeal to me? Hell yes! Does that make me a bad teacher or a bad person? No, it makes me human Would I actually ever do it? Probably not - but it's a very nice image sometimes

i just bloody knew you would be waiting for me

i am away soon and we will have 2 'guest' previewers.

be gentle with them