The most commonly cited staff complaint was poor learning (77 per cent). Many pupils seem to think casual attendance and no follow-up work was a sufficient contribution to their learning. This was followed by feeling unhappy (74 per cent). Flogging dead horses doesn’t give rise to joy. Some 72 per cent of staff thought children unwilling to learn.

Other problems were: too many things to think about (64 per cent); noise and distraction by pupils (100 per cent) and criticism by the entire population (100 per cent).

Just over half of the teachers believed that learning outside school hours, but on school premises, is very important. However 100 per cent of teachers thought many pupils would be better off learning something in the school day.

Eric R Smith

43 Hillview Gardens, Liverpool