Too many parents were unfit to bring up young people, Professor Eric Hawkins of York University told the annual conference of the Association of Head Mistresses. The main reason that some schools had high truancy rates, constant vandalism and violence was because some parents were inadequate, he said.

“I have seen schools where as many as 50 per cent of the homes from which children come are not homes in any real sense. Food is grabbed from a shelf, from a cornflake packet or a tin in the intervals between TV programmes.”

50 years ago June 13, 1952

Television, even more than sound, will help to break down the barrier between school and the world outside, and while it can never supplant a single teacher, is should enlarge the possibilities of all. The voice of a great man is part of him only. The sight of him - say, of some distinguished scientist running through, with his own hands, a key experiment and talking about it - can be made a powerful stimulus, and the more remote or humble the school the greater it might be. Quite apart from its own usefulness as a teaching medium, television is going to be one of the main cultural influences of adult life.

75 years ago June 11, 1927

Headteachers in council: The motion expressed the opinion that the physical well-being of school children demands the provision of a playing field for use by every school; a further motion urged also that local authorities should make provision for playing fields for school children in all new town-planning schemes. A special plea was put forward on behalf of the girls ... The tradition that they should help more in the home robs them of many opportunities.”