They have no idea...

... quite how boring it really is. I had conclusive proof when at Chipping Campden school parent's evening on Thursday. On the whole I don't mind parent's evenings, the teachers mainly say nice things and it tends to be a bit of a 'keep up the good work' exercise. But then M and I stood in the foyer on the way out and watched the little ten minute film of 'what goes on in our school' (that wasn't the title, just my interpretation of it's purpose) .... and it was excruciatingly dull. Shot after shot of children sitting at desks. If it was supposed to inspire parents as to the quality and variety of the educational experience that their children were receiving it was a singular failure. The highlights of the film were M skipping and M in drama class, and not just because it was her, but because they were the only interesting incidents in a sea of tedious bookwork. Since I have no doubt it was quite an accurate picture of the average student's average day on school I wonder that in both making it and watching it the teachers do not seem to notice. I could feel the life being sucked out of me just watching it. It seems to remain a mystery to them why vast numbers of 'school days' are lost every year to truancy, when it is screamingly obvious to me.

After the horrific events in Germany a fortnight ago when a former pupil killed students and staff at his school I am left wondering (as usual it seems, for this is not such a rare occurrence) why the question never seems to be asked, what is it about school that creates in the minds of these people such negative feelings that it drives them to go out and murder. People search for the answer anywhere except the school environment that has such a dominating influence on the lives of our society's adolescents.