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Passmores School in Harlow, an “Academy”, is described as an outstanding school by Offsted, and they have opened up their doors for a commendable documentary on Channel Four that is out to tell it as it is, raising questions about how, and how not to Educate Essex.
It is not unusual for a Vice Principal of a school to be charged with the job of monitoring the comings and going of pupils to and from their lessons. The first episode features Stephen Drew, the Senior Vice Principal, at work in corridors and hallways enforcing dress codes, and other more serious violations.
In this capacity Mr Drew was told to “piss off” by a pupil, who refused to hand over her hoody which she wore to school. Mr Drew duly suspended that pupil summarily in a heart beat, and before the TV cameras. Mr Drew is not entitled to be offended by the pupils language because he is now on TV using and endorsing the phrase “fucking idiots” to amuse the nation.
Sam Wollaston of the Guardian described Mr Drew as his “new TV hero”. Others were less enthused by Mr Drew’s copious sarcasm and childish antics, that passed for wit. Mr Drew saw it as his job to entertain the pupils and allow them to have fun. He encouraged them to have a snow ball fight without informing the Principal who failed to see the joke when he received a snow ball full in the face.
Mr Drew teaches just one history lesson a week, and Sam Wollaston is mightily impressed with his effort to entertain this one small class of well-behaved pupils. Mr Drew told the pupils "You have no idea how much I like teaching you," as he received a surprise birthday cake, possibly arranged for by the TV.
Fraternising with pupils is clearly part of Mr Drew’s strategy. Mr Drew describes a pupil as “seriously challenging” and this pupil is repeatedly “challenged” by her class room teacher for using her mobile phone during lessons, and again refused to hand over the phone when the teacher attempted to confiscate it. In this circumstance Mr. Drew adopts a different strategy when deciding what action to take. In fact he shared a joke with the offender and another teacher about how they may “deal” with the class room teacher who demanded an apology from the “challenging” pupil, but who is unwilling to offer it. So Mr Drew and the offender agree on a form of words the pupil might use in order to appear as if she was apologising, but without actually apologising. All three including the most “seriously challenged,” laughed out loud about this “joke” at the unaware classroom teacher’s expense.
Ha Ha Ha. Teachers complain every day about not being appropriately supported by school management and here it is documented by Channel Four.
The TV interviewed Mr Drew when he had a very serious face on display, and a close up for the camera. He explained that it was in fact “immoral” to permanently exclude a pupil and they must be allowed to win.
Mr Drew was not asked to defend the summary expulsion of the pupil that told him to piss off, but on that occasion the joke was directed at him, using moderate language by his standards.
Snigger. Snigger.
The man with the foolish grin is no guru. He is apparently a hypocrite.
Series continues on Channel Four, Thursdays. Last weeks episode may viewed on the Channel Four Website.
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