It seems to me this headline has been repeated across our media for many years. This article quotes David Frost, the outgoing Director General of the British  Chambers of Commerce and lays the blame at Labours feet. However, from my memory,  industry has been complaining about the dire state of our education standards, about the low educational standards of our school leavers way back when the conservatives were in power.

So, THIS IS NOT NEW NEWS.

Its time parents, the schools and the government stepped up the mark and reinforced the old basic standards.

Society has allowed social standards to deteriorate and for some reason we all have allowed our education system to be watered down.  We have allowed kids street behaviour into the class room and removed the teachers ability to deal with it. They can’t touch the kids when they are fighting or disrupting classrooms.

When did it become acceptable for kids to take AND USE mobile phones in the classroom. Some stupid woman on the TV yesterday suggested that it would make the kids less comfortable at school if you take away their phones. My granddaughter has texted me during lessons and I told her off for it. Another granddaughter was using her phone to film her science teacher.

I’ve got news for you lady. They aren’t there to be comfortable. They are there to learn. They are there to concentrate on the subject not text chat to their friends. With your attitude permeating society it’s no wonder David Frost has made his statement.

Lets throw out all the popularist crap and get back to the three R’s

School leavers unfit for work: ‘Firms forced to spend billions on remedial training for victims of education failure’ | Mail Online.

Is the education pendulum starting to swing back.  After so many years of namby-pamby new age schooling are we about to see a return to the sort of schooling that I experienced.

Where pupils went to school to learn, not just to socialise with their mates. Where pupils understood and accepted the rules of discipline and self-control, where pupils gave basic respect to teachers because they were teachers.

And most of all where the sort of behaviour being experienced by these teachers would have been nipped in the bud.

Head teacher too soft on unruly pupils

So say the teachers of  Darwen Vale High School, who have gone on strike due to lack of support from head teacher Hilary Torpey.

“Pupils frequently challenge teachers to fights, push and shove them in the corridors and classrooms and are constantly swearing and insulting them.

But teachers say that when they take the matters to the head teacher she often sides with the pupils instead of staff.”

They claim that when teachers have confiscated the phones, they have been returned by the school’s management – leaving them ‘totally undermined’.

“Five teachers have apparently been suspended since Mrs Torpey took over as head teacher last September.

It is claimed children have realised staff will be suspended if they complain so have started making false allegations.”

This sort of behaviour is not acceptable in any setting. Joe public would be outraged if these kids acted this way in public and yet we as a society seem to accept it in our schools. We do nothing to support the teaching staff. Well its time we did and these teachers are right to strike to get that support

This is just one of many stories in the media recently but I believe it is an indication, a reflection of what society wants and needs. We need a return to basics in education and behaviour

Darwen Vale High School teachers strike: ‘Head teacher too soft on unruly pupils’ | Mail Online.

Lets hear a big WELL DONE for Catherine Jenkinson-Dix and her staff.

This is the way things should be done in all schools. In the short time since the zero-tolerance regime was put in place this Ely school has seen an improvement in pupil behaviour.

Now lets see that this school gets the support from parents, local government and society and ……

Now lets see more schools doing the same.

Ely school gives 717 children detention in 4 days after rules crackdown | Mail Online.