I taught abroad (very happily) for some time and in the northern Highlands of Scotland (both excellent experiences with very well managed schools with very few behavioural problems) so imagine my shock when I returned to the UK and signed up to do some secondary supply work after a spell in business. Big mistake!

I was truly shocked at the level of abuse I had to endure, in secondary classrooms. Pupils swore, chatted on their phones, threw pens, and chairs, and on one occasion when I reported a pupil for making a seriously awful comment a senior member of staff got defensive and said "
it's only verbal and he's always like that." It was as if I shouldn't be making an allegation of verbal assault!

I have been in some good schools but my general experience is of a hierarchy afraid to tackle bad behaviour and intent on hushing up on such issues for want of image and ratings - Angela is right to expose classroom terror, wind up the GTC I say - pathetic case pursued!

Stu Bond, London, UK

As a father of a daughter with special needs, let down by the system and subsequently having experienced teaching in many Special Schools, good, bad and atrocious, who was forced to retire by the policies of an LEA who whose officers turned a blind eye to the problems so caused, I fully support Angela Mason's actions. In a school where teachers and support staff were regularly assaulted by pupils, insulted by a head who blamed the teachers for his own inadequacies, such as having no effective discipline policy, drug taking, detonating of explosive devices in the playground, a staff turnover of about 200% pa was ignored. The main losers were the pupils with genuine special needs. Unfortunately, the teaching unions are partly funded by the LEA’s and are afraid to support their members. Perhaps a book will cause a rethink!

David Fairclough, Liverpool, England

Mrs Mason was extemely courageous in doing what she did. The Teachers Council is missing the point in trying to kill the messenger of an uncomfortable message. They should be supporting someone who cares about their profession and education and wants to change it for the better..

Mrs Mason emerged as a strong and charismatic teacher and strongly held her own. Her actions exposed the problem which other teachers face. Neither the pupils nor the schools were identified and it provided important evidence about what so many teachers have to face.

She also ran the risk of being made a complete fool of by the pupils in front of a television audience - how committed is that!

Suzanne Davies, London,

I shouldn't think for one minute that Ms Mason will be upset at being struck off as a [supply] teacher. The television programme is clearly an embarrassment for the Government who want us to believe that everything is hunkey dorey in the classroom. The truth is, they are a breeding ground for bullying, drug abuse, intimidation, and general bad behaviour. These State institutions are not places of learning for a lot of children. And the teachers have an almost impossible job in trying to educate children under these circumstances. Time for a complete re-think on education. The current State system clearly doesn't work for all concerned.

Sally, Staines, England

As a former supply teacher, I fully support Angela Mason's actions. I have seen first-hand how these yobs behave in the classroom. They know they can get away with it, because the teachers have no power to discipline them (it infringes upon their human rights). The GTC should spend their energies on giving teachers more rights to discipline their students, so that some real teaching can take place.

Astrid Thompson, Taipei, Taiwan

I work in a school and starting work here was a real eye-opener. The behaviour can be appalling, outrageous and threatening. There is also a low level background noise of ignoring adults, loudness, disobedience and deceit. It had crossed my mind more than once that no one would believe such behaviour unless it was recorded and could serve as a witness to what staff sometimes have to put up with. I always realised, however, that to record such behaviour myself would be professional misconduct, unless I had clear permission. I'm sure Ms Mason was also aware of this - but she is a journalist and sacrificed the boundaries of one profession to serve another.
Our job while at work in the school is to try to set up systems and frameworks so that children know where they stand - not to step back and make a blanket judgement.
There just aren't going to be any easy answers - but assured secondary places and continuity with primary school social groupings could be a start.

Nancy Sarre, London, UK

Good for Mrs Mason. Now let's have a tribunal to investigate the behaviour of the BBC and "Searchlight" magazine when those august and holy bodies send pseudonymous infiltrators( sometimes, it seems, manipulative agents provocateurs) to make secret reports and films at BNP meetings. At least Mrs Mason is providing evidence that the UK's mores need radical revision.

But it is also well-known that many schools refuse to acknowledge that pupils frequently behave abhominably, and consequently such behaviour is being tacitly encouraged,

Let not Mrs Mason be sacrificed in order to save the faces and reputations of the dishonest and incompetent

Veritas manet, London,

The General Teaching Council is clearly not acting in the interests of teachers and pupils who should expect to be able to learn in an appropriate environment. Instead it is attempting to "shoot the messenger" who brings news that their policies and practices are failing the people it is there to help. So what if children are embarrassed at their own behaviour, hopefully their parents and the teachers that have allowed them to behave like this are embarrassed too. The truth sometimes hurts, particularly if it is the result of obvious failings due to ineptitude. Instead of bleating about it and persecuting the only person brave enough to follow up on the interests of the children, the GTC should be grateful and address the issue by using the behaviour uncovered as an example of what is not acceptable. What do the OFSTED reports on these schools say?

M Jeffs, Bucks, UK

It appears from the article that any observation about the actual occurrences in a school - as opposed to the 'virtual
occurrences' - is too much truth to be palatable.
Overriding public interest - which allows for objective accountability - has been exceptionally well served by Angela Mason.
Beware, GTC, lest your support of the contrary view becomes a syllabus of 'surrender to non-discipline' in the young minds you profess to educate.
Heaven help the conscientious and dedicated teachers after this message.

Keith, Bengtsfors, Sweden

Its high time corporal punishment was brought back to schools. Left wing do-gooders are dragging this country to it’s knees with screaming ‘human rights’ every time something needs to be done to control what is happening to today’s human society. If parents are so useless at controlling their children at home they why should it be OK for their children to disrupt lessons and influence others who are well mannered and know wrong from right.
It’s now twenty one years since I left school and I cannot believe the things I am told and hear about schooling these days, every second pupil seems to have ADH or some other abbreviation that never used to exist to blame their behaviour. School sports days now have no individual winners because it’s bad for the moral of the other children so every child is a winner, and the latest idea is complete madness, praise unruly children three times more than the well behaved - utter tosh, send them down to the head master and let them have ‘three of the best!’ Barbaric? Not in the eyes of every poor soul who is now afraid to go about their daily business because of what has failed to have been addressed from an early age.

R Brook, Halifax, England

Yes again this shows how this Country is letting down a whole generation of more of children by failing to provide a school with discipline so that those who want to learn can learn. Additionally they should totally bank mobile phones in school full stop. If anyone saw the program on Channel4 when the children went back to 50's and 60's style teaching they would have seen how in the end the children ended up loving the disciplined style of teaching. THAT is what they should be bringing back into our schools NOW and not when it is too late. Also, they should be given fish oil every day for free so that their behaviour and learning benefits for the Omega 3.

Will this Government ever carry out such an overhaul having previously messed up the education system, I doubt it !.

Alan

Alan, Guildford, UK

CCTV in classrooms and throughout school is now essential, as this woman's footage clearly demonstrates.
Not least this will stop the epidemic of bogus assault charges against teaches, and bullying.
Schooling currently is impossible with respect to a large proportion of pupils.
Pupils are in any case under surveilance by their teachers and assistants, and CCTV is in the interests of pupils to protect them from assault and bullying, and to back them up if they feel they have been misrpresented in any discipline situation.

steve moxon, sheffield,

How ridiculous! It is no wonder children behave so when we have absurdly PC bodies like the GTC protecting their right to do so. They are so out of touch with reality.
Bring back the birch!

PaulK, Thornton Cleveleys, UK

I have worked as a supply teacher for the last three years, I teach to a very high standard. I completely support mrs masons actions as it outlines exactly what is going on in our schools. If parents could see what was going on Mrs Mason would be the least of their problems!

michelle vercoe, taunton, somerset

'Another student, who said he could be identified from the footage, felt “embarrassed and humiliated”'

Good !

I assume this was raised in her defence...

Pat, Reading, England

It would be interesting to know what, if any, action was taken against the pupils filmed smashing furniture or making false accusations.

Pat Thornton, Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Good on Mrs. Mason! People the world over recognize that the UK is just a bit backwards when it comes to assigning responsibility for their problems in public education.

Case in point: The UK wanting to remove the Holocaust from their history program because it makes some students feel uncomfortable. The Holocaust SHOULD MAKE EVERYONE UNCOMFORTABLE! If Hitler had felt uncomfortable with torturing & murdering over 6 MILLION Jews, Gypsies, & other UNDESIREABLES, then maybe the Holocaust wouldn't have happened.

Way to go Mrs. Mason & rasberries to the UK public school systems! UK education has got lots of problems & they are just embarrassed that they were caught red handed.

Anne Miller, Albuquerque, USA

She has my full support and I hope (un)common sense prevails. Her strategy was a fair and valid one in order to bring publicity to this problem. I do not agree that covert surveillance in a classroom need be a violation of privacy - it is a public place and behaviour should conform to normal standards in any developed society.

I bet childrens' behaviour would improve dramatically in class if there was a webcam present that allowed their parents to watch in real time, or enable them to review any reported incidents.
This is quite trivial to do, and may only be a matter of time.

If we can't use carrots and sticks anymore to be able to instill respect, then perhaps shameful evidence will let society be the judge and modify their behaviour.

Andrew Haveland-Robinson, Budapest, Hungary

I read this report in The Times today and felt so strongly for Angela Mason. After reading the comments posted here I have nothing else to add other than to agree with virtually every comment.
As a teacher of over 25 yrs, I feel it is time that pupils, parents, egg-shell- treading LEAs and the Government supported teachers, instead of pointing the finger at them everytime the dreadful behaviour problems in our schools are highlighted.
Teachers have enough to cope with just keeping up with the constant changes that government after government impose, without punishing anyone who dares find fault .
It's days like these that I find myself truly ashamed to be called British.

Amanda, Up north,

To those who exclaim about the parents role, consider this.

My wife teaches primary school children and has, on several occasions encountered parents complaining becasue the school is not teaching their children proper manners.

These are people who sent their children out to school at age 4 when they couldn't feed themselves properly, use the toilet or sit still for two minutes at a time (all of which used to be basic entry requirements, if your child couldn't manage they couldn't attend school).

These pepole genuinely believe that the school is in some way responsible for teaching even these basics of behaviour.

I find it a wonder that the children don't starve before the age of 4 when no-one turns up at the door to relieve the parents of the onerous responsibility of remembering to feed them.

Robert, Reading, Berks

I applaud Ms. Mason! As for privacy of the students, one should have "fuzzed" out their faces so as not to reveal the students' identities.
People must face the realities, however unpleasant. By bringing the situation out in the open, everyone can address the problems in the schools.
I hope they do. Everyone benefits - the students, teachers and communities where they live.
In my country, we have student issues, but what is more distressing to me is the conduct of school staff, administrators and county officials. They are the ones that should be setting a proper example. After all, they are the adults, right??
In my experience, respect begets respect, although with some it may take a good amount of patience to achieve.

Patty Burke, Gulf Breeze, FL

In this day and age is it too much to ask that every class in a school be connected by webcam to a large screen in the entrance hall where visitors to the school could see the behaviour of the children? If the kids knew they were being watched and a recording could be shown to their often unbelieving parents afterward would they still behave like this? Some would of course but most wouldn't. Will we get such a system? Of course not because it would also show up a huge part of the problem, .... techers who simply can't teach, who use form filling as an excuse for failure and who shouldn't be in the profession. But schools aren't there to teach kids are they? They are there to employ Unison members.

John, Dundee, UK

This is a disgrace.
I got smacked at (Irish Christian) school on several occasions, and I was always well aware that the teacher had the same authority as my parents. Now the government is making the teaching profession impossible. A teacher who cares enough to try to highlight the problems is being demonised!
Undisciplined children become undisciplined adults, you see it all the time. It takes self discipline to produce work of a professional standard, and this has to be instilled in children first by discipline imposed externally. Common Sense.
The government's neglect of disciplining children is child abuse!

Alice, Sheffield,

In a country which is known for widely using public video surveylance, one would not think this would cause such an uproar. Both seem to be in the people's best interest. I certainly wish someone had done this in the US schools my sons attended.

Dan Stuber, Tempe, Arizona, USA

My experience is that Mrs Mason's effort won't make a bit of difference. Those who are appalled at what goes on in schools today won't be surprised, and those who have created this mess and allow it to continue won't be instructed. As for the parents, well, their children are the second generation of troglodytes and sociopaths now taking over western civilization. In half a century, we have moved from the "greatest generation" to this sorry excuse for humanity. I'm not at all hopeful about the future.

Katherine, Augusta, GA, USA

This is ridiculous. Do you think Channel Five are more interested in children's wellbeing or in upping their own ratings?

I'm sure you could go into any school (or workplace for that matter) in this country and see examples of both good and bad behaviour. I'm 34 and it was no different when I was at school (we didnt have the internet then but I'm sure if we did there would have been certain pupils who didnt necessarily use it for educational purposes). You guys from abroad probably wont be aware of the quality of programmimng that comes out of Channel Five but I'm pretty sure they concentrated on the bad behaviour rather than the good. If you demonise people you get a ratings winner, if you make them look good no-one is interested!

I've sworn before and I've got into fights before (especially when I was young and immature) and I'm sure most of us have, but how happy would you be if it was all filmed without your knowledge for a cheap 'documentary'?

Rod Munch, Northampton, UK

While Ms Mason may have had the idea to film students covertly, she was doing a public service by showing things as they really were. A public camera would have elicited another response, probably - assuming it had not been wrecked first.

So now burglars who are injured while buglarising and other miscreants/criminals who are punished by any kind of 'natural justice' are joined by thugs-in-training who are 'humiliated' by being caught in the act. Oh dear! What was that about 'tough on crime and the causes of crime'? The woman should be congratulated, not punished.

If those castigating her have their way, the inmates really are running the institution.

Well done, Ms Mason, well done! I am sure you will have huge popular support. Perhaps it's time to change the 'leaders' of society.

Ian Platt, Huddersfield,

Let's get things in perspective here - this is someone who signed up as a supply teacher in order, as far as anyone knew, to teach children. That is what teachers are supposed to do.
This woman however did not sign up as a supply teacher to teach children, she signed up as a supply teacher in order to expose unruly behaviour by her charges. Her motives were to make a documentary which will have been done under the guidance of a producer. In order to ensure the best possible ratings for the show, she will have almost undoubtedly been briefed to capture the most disruptive behaviour. Even if she caught good behaviour, it will have been edited out pre-production.
In any event, this woman's goal was not to teach but to make a television programme. She therefore acted without professional integrity as a teacher and as such deserves to be removed from the register.

Paul Williams, Bangor, Gwynedd

No wonder the educational establishment is embarrassed and up in arms; Mrs. Mason has shown the world just how pointless and unpleasant modern schools can be.

The usual tactic: shoot the messenger. Hard luck. The message is out. Lots of schools are hell-holes, and it is really child abuse to sentence children to them.

I know what I'm talking about; for years I worked as a supply teacher and saw the system from the bottom up.

Michael Bruce, Selby, Yorkshire

I'm with the teacher on this one. What is wrong with everybody? Why is she being condemned for just pointing out what is going on? How is it HER fault that the students misbehave? Shouldn't that fall on the parents instead? They should be taught to behave at home, and taught to read and write in school. In my opinion, she deserves a standing ovation.

L, Stems, AL, USA

Surely the focus should be on those schools and pupils that have been exposed. Surely they should be the ones who are now being forced to raise standards. Those pupils who were caught misbehaving - the evidence is there for the head teachers to take appropriate action and issue suitable reprimands. It is for the state to wake up and do something and not use the person who exposed this appaling situation to be made a scapegoat.

ACF, Bournemouth,

One kid was embarrassed and humiltated? Only because he got caught on film. Serves him and his classmates right. Just shows how bad schools have gotten everywhere. No respect for the teachers by the students or parents.

Brenda, NC, US

Congratulations to Mrs. Mason for having the courage to return to the unruly classrooms she had abandoned, in an effort to document for us the reality of what teacher's face on a daily basis. And shame on the GTC for failing to support their teachers in the face of this explicit, incontrovertible evidence.

jean Marie Pike, Stroud, UK

Pathetic by the GTC - this is what its really like out there.

Perhaps we should be looking at the current state of teaching and its expectations of pupils in the State sector.
From my own childrens experiences these are not unusual or even the worst behaviours to be found in the class room.

Much of the resposibility for not maintaining a safe and controlled learning environment should be laid at the door of the GTCs members and their paymasters at the LEAs who in my experience have been equally clueless......

Peter Scarlett, Whitley Bay,

There are many more pupils who should feel “embarrassed and humiliated”, when their behaviour in the classroom is made known.

If I misbehaved all a teacher ever had to say to me: 'would your mother like to know how you are behaving?'

The problem is that a classroom is a enclosed unit and some children believe they can do what they like with impunity. Ultimately it is the child's responsibility to co-operate in the learning situation. Parent and teacher should back each other up which will enable the pupil to achieve.

HM, Belfast,

Ridiculous! The authorities need to focus on the problem which is the behaviour of the children, not the teacher.

Les, Lavendon, UK

The pupil who felt humiliated did not feel so at the time of the bad behaviour. Nor did they bother that they were humiliating the teacher and showing no attempt to learn. This is after all why our children attend school, or has this been forgotten?
I find it farcical that the teacher is being disciplined and the bad behaviour is yet again condoned!! Wake up! What message are we giving our school children? Do we want them to think that this sort of bad classroom behavious goes unpunished and yet again the teacher "will take the wrap".

J, Southampton,

Good for Angela for helping to publicise the disgusting behaviour of British schoolchildren. A courageous and public spirited action indeed.
I propose she be invited to head the Depatment of Education forthwith!

Fred Hamilton, Llandudno.,

The do gooders strike again,more power to the ladies elbow !It`s about time some of the parents were forced to see what their little thugs & future yobos get up to in class , and they should be made responsible for them. This country is going off of the rails in every respect and it needs pulling back in line urgently , starting with the teaching of respect and decent behaviour in school , with punishment where neccessary .

PJ, Leyton,London, England

i hope the "inspectors of schools"see the video which shows the dismal standards of pupil behavour in these schools.they should then speak in defence of this teacher at her tribunal.councils can video whom they like in many towns in the uk.some can even comment over loud speakers to those they consider are behaving in an antisocial manner.maybe all classrooms should have vidio camers operating then parents can be made aware of their childs behavour and be asked to comment ! the recordings could then be obtained by the inspectors of schools who would be able to use the information obtained to influence the school league tables.

john pinney., san jose.ibiza., spain

Pupils post illicit films of teachers on the internet without any action taken against them, although the likes of YouTube and others are censured for allowing the clips to be shown. An adult films examples of unruly behaviour, which only the government, school governors and headteachers think doesn't happen, and gets castigated for it. I don't suppose anybody in authority will have disciplined the children involved...........of course, how stupid of me, that would have infringed on their human rights to do just exactly as they please.

David Leslie, Perth, Scotland

50 years of an extreme liberal agenda have bought Britain to the position of circling the drain. Another 50 and it will be little better than a third world hell hole.

James, Hove,

I applaud Ms. Mason! As for privacy of the students, one should have "fuzzed" out their faces so as not to reveal the students' identities.
People must face the realities, however unpleasant. By bringing the situation out in the open, everyone can address the problems in the schools.
I hope they do. Everyone benefits - the students, teachers and communities where they live.
In my country, we have student issues, but what is more distressing to me is the conduct of school staff, administrators and county officials. They are the ones that should be setting a proper example. After all, they are the adults, right??
In my experience, respect begets respect, although with some it may take a good amount of patience to achieve.

Patty Burke
Florida

Patty Burke, Gulf Breeze, FL

I applaud this teacher's actions. Children, especially teenagers should be held accountable for their actions. Once people step out of their private dwellings, they enter the public world. Any statement they make and any action they take is therefore public. The possibility of getting captured on film comes with the turf. Ever been to an amusement park and tried to take a picture of only a friend or loved one? How many pictures were taken that contained an unknown person? I bet no signed release statement was obtained prior to taking those pictures. If school children are uncontrollable and acting like complete idiots, then they deserve to be filmed. The film should then be made public and the students, themselves can answer for their actions. Society needs to quit pandering to the likes of whining miscreants and help get the message out to children that they can't just do what they please without accepting the consequences. Formally charge them and collect for damages.

Voice of reason, Your town, USA

The children should be upset, embarrassed and humiliated. Isn't that the point? Their behavior is shameful. If this teacher assisted them in learning the shame which they ought to feel, her tenure was a rousing success and she should be lauded, not pilloried. Perhaps cameras should be installed in all the classrooms as a teaching tool. The outcry is strange in light of the ubiquity of public cameras in the UK.

NB, Davis,

The money wasted on this case could have been put towards videoing each class every day. The parents should then be hauled in every time to watch the offenders and it should be the parents who discipline their own children.
If my children had behaved like that they would have been very afraid if I found out. You don't have to whack children as there are other ways if you can put in the energy but sometimes it is necessary.
I think the parents who are lazy and disinterested in their children spoil it for other parents whose children are trying to learn.
Glad to see Tom B is in a good mood. I happen to agree it is pathetic to let kids rule the country.

Christine ter Meulen, Hayes, Middlesex, England

The GTC should be ashamed of even thinking of prosecuting this woman. She has shown only what all teachers and law abiding people know,the classroom can be and is in some schools a war zone. pity the GTC didn`t know the same facts about how kids behave inside some schools, where there is no punishment available to curb this yob culture.
This has been caused by people like the GTC and lefty do gooders,

KW, wirral, UK

As always organisations with unsavoury "secrets" lash out blindly at the whistle blowers. Instead of dealing with the problems they try to divert attention while they seek their revenge on those who expose the shortcomings. They hope that they can prevent others from disclosing painfull truths. What we need is more exposure untill a fully informed public demands the changes that are needed.

mike gee, bournemouth, dorset

I dont agree with the methods used but have a bigger problem in that it takes such a covert operation to bring this behaviour to the public eye. I think she is brave and acting out of good motives but it infringes on the privacy and protection of pupils. In addition it only shows pupils behaviour with one member of staff. But this begs the question why was there a need to do this in secrecy and who are we protecting by keeping this type of behaviour hidden? The Government and Education Authorities perhaps!

ingrid Nozahic, Portsmouth, hants

Has anyone got any valid suggestions as to the correct methods to control classes of unruly youngsters? Said youngsters are well aware that they cannot be punished in any way that is meaningful and they obviously have carte blanche to act in any way they please no matter how disruptive to the class. We will undoubtably, at some future date, be reaping the harvest of our failure to take these huge problems seriously . We must give more valid support to the teachers to rein in the troublemakers.

Thompson, York,

Nobody mentions the part parents play in this sorry tale. I find it pathetic, that it is left to teachers to deal with unruly teenagers whose parents are not willing to engage in their education. Sure, there is peer pressure and there are parents who lost control over their teenagers due to this peer pressure. But it can't be left to teachers to sort out this mess. Teachers are leaving the profession with depression caused by this kind of behaviour.
I think Mrs. Mason did the right thing by bringing this to issue to public attention and the General Teching Council should actually applaud her in doing so - the program created understanding and sympathy for the plight of teachers. To attack her in this way is just wrong.
The student who felt 'humiliated' should actually be ashamed of his behaviour. Teenage years are difficult years, but even he might know what is right or wrong. But I suppose, he for once listened to his parents who told him to say that he felt 'humilated'...

Kauri, London, UK

So a teacher who filmed the appalling behaviour of her pupils, caused in part by the complete lack of available disciplinary options – a situation created by Leftist ‘social engineers’ (when they’re not engaged in dumbing down educational standards in their race to produce a client state, or working out how to appease Islamists) – is now to face potential disciplinary action.

Wow, you really can’t write satire to match the lunacy that is infecting this country at the moment, so what does the GTC think will be the outcome of this?

A) Kids being more respectful and willing to engage learning
B) The disruptive element once again realising that they are untouchable, that they’ll never held to account, running rampant and carrying on these behaviours into adulthood? (As after all they already know that Teachers and other authority figures that they can’t do anything to them)

Bit perverse of society really, let an individual run riot for the first 16 years of life with no boundaries, then when they get older and commit enough crimes to get beyond the feather duster stage of punishment, bang them up in prison for a 10 stretch! Wouldn’t it be cheaper to nip all of this in the bud?

Malcolm, London, UK

What civic values are taught by teachers and headteachers who were happy to be named as key workers? Now nurses and teachers have realised they are fodder as much as the rest of us to a government that is intolerant, divisive, crude and rude. The bullies at the top don't like the spotlight turned on them in the classroom or anywhere else.
What about school children riding bikes on pavements at speed, and hogging the pavement when ambulatory? They do the same with their parents as well, so that elderly or lone walkers have to move out of their way?

R Grootendorst, Sidcup, UK

So rather than say 'we got caught', and admit that they run schools about as well as a trainer at a zoo runs the monkey pen, the schools and school boards are all passing the blame to her, for highlighting a problem.

I guess they are just following the examples set by our own government. Spin, Spin, Spin, Spiiiiiiiiiiin!

Arthur, Newcastle,

This seems like another example of a witch hunt by "the authorities". It is clear to anyone who doesnt have their heads buried in the sand that there are big problems with discipline in our schools.
Angela Mason should be applauded for helping to uncover the truth about our schools. The GTC must throw out this malicious prosecution and stand squarely behind our hard-working and hard-pressed teachers.

Steve Mercer, London, UK

I dont suppose she took any footage of the kids that get their heads down and work hard, that just wouldn't be a ratings winner! If Mrs Mason is that bothered about the state of Britain's schools why doesn't she use her experience by working with the education authorities and find a way of tackling this kind of behaviour. But instead she chooses poor quality UK TV to address her gripes.

If the UK media wants to improve the conduct of the young why dont they try showing kids in a good light so theres people for the average child to look up to, rather than broadcast yet another dire fly-on-the-wall TV 'show'. Channel 5 dont pretend its about the kids we all know its about ratings!

Rod Munch, Northampton, UK

If it means going through the backdoor to expose the unrudely and rather alarming behaviours of our youngsters in class so as to encourage and invite a rethink on classroom discipline I am all for it. The role of teachers is to teach and that of the pupils to learn. Both parties have a responsibility to the other. In the Orient if a teacher whilst trying to restore classroom order is told by the pupil to "take a nap" they will very quickly feel the burning sensation on their rear resulted from a whip follow by a suspension from school - and so it should be. I suspect the student who felt "embarrassed and humiliated" is rather because he/she has been caught behaving badly more than anything else - word of advise don't behave in that way you will have nothing to be embarrassed and humiliated about!

DS Choy, London, GT. London

As an informative ethnographic depiction of what really happens in schools (I was there not so long ago, I am 2nd year university now) I am shocked at this response. Parents, politicians and the media should relish the chance to see what happens in schools,rather than relying upon the stagemanaged performances of inspections. If pupils were encouraged to report problems, and supported in doing so, we may eliminate the bullying, disruption and lack of real learning that prohibits educational development. My university is highly international, and the differences in work ethic and skills are astounding. We need reform,and we need it now.

Louise R, London, UK

Obviuosly schools, especially, secondary, are all the same around the English speaking world.

Maybe when the chaos reaches the uncontrolable stage governments will wake up to the problems.

But than it is too late and not enough

N. Agocs, Dianella, west australia

That is patently absurd. If this is what it takes to get the attention of some of these "students" and to bring their behavior to the attention of those in a position to assist instructors with discipline and control then "Roll 'em", I say. You can bet that tons of school children are covertly filming their instructors.

Long ago I had a teacher who was really too shy and quiet to be a teacher in L.A. This was 4th grade. When she couldn't get the class to quiet down she broke down in tears. Repeat every week after that once the little bastards saw how easy it was. She bought a little Casio keyboard to bang on when her voice was drowned out but that was just another distraction. Meh.

zyzay, Los Angeles,

BRILLIANT. We need more like Ms. Mason. Gutsy woman to expose the reality about schools that politicians and the NUT want to keep out of sight. Bravo Angela!

Mary Fisher, Bristol, UK

Angela Mason should be made a Dame by the Queen.

She's exposed the "truth", and the truth is one thing New Lab' do NOT want the people to know. (It comes with the territory of control freak, all-image, no-substance governments)

Tom Williams, Reading, Berks., UK

This seems to be a good example of how an organisation such as the GTC can be used against its members acting in the public interest to provide bona fide feedback as to the discipline gap in schools and the impossible situation in which teachers can be placed by the steady withdrawal of any vestige of support for the control they once had over disruptive pupils.

With this kind of thinking, can it be long before career burglars expect prosecution of those using CCTV for covert recording of their criminal activities?

dr venables preller, Warminster, UK

Given the lack of disipline and accusations of abuse should we not put CCTV in every classroom to monitor behaviour. The boy who was embarassed because he could be identified obviously did something to be embarassed about.

The teachers have for years stated that thier jobs are almost impossible, the GTC should support the teacher and find ways of improving disipline not simply brush this under the carpet.

Joseph Kellie, Edinburgh, Scotland

More teachers should expose the blatant conduct of students so as to expose the lack of parenting. If society wants teachers to be parents then teachers should be given control of the students, total control. But then teachers that want to teach would quit, as parents have.
Retired Teacher and relieved to be retired

Wt Feray, Kemah, Texas---USA

Happy to see you Brits are as screwed up as we Yanks. Pathetic.

Tom B, Chicago, USA

the idiots at the GTC bury their heads in the sand generally but when something appears to malign their pathetic profession they mount a head on attack

DISGRACEFUL

roger worley, London,

God help the children if Mrs. Mason is crushed by the sheep

clancy, washington dc, USA