Students Interview Teachers

[cabinetman]

Feedback is interesting when a teachers' future may be determined by students.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...on/8599485.stm
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[RayintheUK]

I was both angry and appalled when I heard this on the news, yet I suppose I shouldn't really have been surprised at all. Education standards have been plummeting in the UK for several years now, particularly amongst the, shall we say, less-motivated section of the school population.

Teachers have been assaulted and bullied out of their jobs, yet little is done to improve their lot. If they remonstrate with troublesome "pupils" they're likely to have their otherwise-not-involved parent(s) waiting to assault them outside the school gates.

This latest nonsense makes a mockery of genuine attempts at consultation, in that qualifications and aptitude seem to be secondary to the fickle view of a couple of children - ludicrous beyond belief. Being radical is one thing, but being this foolish can only do yet more harm. Not one of these so-called deep-thinking bleeding hearts has made any noticeable improvement in the system, yet no-one in a position to do something about it seems to have the drive, or honesty, to stop this "Kings New Clothes" stupidity. The problem is, of course, that these sorts of actions have few instant effects, but will cost dearly in the long term, as standards take yet another slide.

We already have an accredited examining body for the teaching profession - the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (OFSTED), whose opinions I'll take, every day, over some hair-brained, inexperienced, untrained, unqualified, self-seeking, mischievous, precocious semi-literate.

I'm not saying that student involvement, per se, is undesirable, just that whilst it may have a place in some educational establishments, it clearly cannot be used in schools who have difficulty getting their pupils to attend, or act responsibly if they do.

Ray

[herb fellows]

To have students review their teachers after the term is one thing, this is another. The students have too much at stake to give a credible review, especially when you're going to deny someone a job over it.
If independent reviews from students show a trend in the wrong direction, fine, give it some credibility.