Picture the scene : two primary heads play an escalating series of preposterous pranks on each other, culminating in the appearance of one in a gorilla suit at the back of the other’s assembly. Was Beadle about? No, but from next autumn Teachers’ TV, the first channel in Europe targeted at a profession, may be. The Government-funded digital service threatens to trawl the nation for the funniest teacher and come up with other gimmicky programme ideas derived from reality TV such as sports-style commentaries on lessons, including slow-motion replays.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with entertaining teachers at the same time as helping them further their careers, which the channel also aims to do. God knows, teachers need entertaining as well as to be entertaining on occasion. But everything will hinge on the quality of the programmes if teachers are expected to tune in. That will determine whether they are inspired enough to make time to switch on. Who knows, perhaps in the future ministers may not be worrying about whether children are watching too much television, but about whether teachers are watching enough.