Dream School has just been on and once again Channel 4 has graced our television screens with a show that allows us to laugh at other people's misfortunes. This time Jamie Oliver, acting as a type of Minister for Education rather than a Chef, has organised for 20 kids to attend a 'dream school' where the teachers are experts in their fields.
I would give my right leg and probably a few fingers to be taught by David Starkey, yet the kids were uninterested, texting their friends (or each other?), and talking about anything but History. Starkey made a sly comment about one kid's weight and an argument erupted that lasted several days. Starkey refused to teach another lesson until the school accepted that the kids are too pampered and need rules. He is from a generation of rules and regulations, where students were expected to respect the teacher and learn in silence or be punished, not today David. The headmaster is talking about kicking Starkey off the course. If that doesn't show what's wrong with the country then I give up.
Jamie witnessed other lessons where kids were vulgar and disrespectful, somehow this is ok because they went through hardship in school, so we should feel sorry for them, give them a hug, and let them do whatever they want. That way we'll avoid hurting their feelings.
Some of the kids hate the program, some of the teachers (who are professionals with REAL jobs) are threatening to quit. So far not so good, but if you watch other Jamie Oliver programs (in particular where he tried changing a town's food habits in the USA) you'll see that the first episode always leaves you thinking Jamie will fail.
I'll give Jamie a C- for this episode, hopefully the kids will be disciplined or maybe be taught what the word 'respect' means. I don't really want to watch another episode where Rolf Harris feels sad, or where a thug with a spray can gets annoyed and wears a hoodie.
Fingers crossed.
PS. On the other hand, Starkey is a crap secondary school teacher who is completely disconnected from the modern world and should be replaced with someone young and enthusiastic... Dan Snow would have been FANTASTIC.
