What is education for?

Pink Floyd were an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. They are one of the most commercially successful and influential rock music groups of all time. They have sold over 200 million albums worldwide and achieved worldwide critical and commercial success with The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall.

One of their best known songs was Another Brick in the Wall, which reached number 1 in the charts and whose famous chorus was sung by London schoolchildren. Here are the lyrics:

We don't need no education.
We don’t need no thought control.
No dark sarcasm in the classroom.
Teachers leave them kids alone.
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!
All in all it's just another brick in the wall.
All in all you're just another brick in the wall.

The song was accompanied by an innovative music video by the artist Gerald Scarfe. You can watch this video by clicking on the link below. As you watch and listen, think about these questions:

1. What do you think of the lyrics?

2. What do you think of the video?

3. What is Pink Floyd’s view of education?

Pink Floyd Another Brick in the Wall part 2: video (3:15mins)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZOgJF7e_3k

That'll Teach 'Em is a British reality television documentary series which follows teenage students as they are taken back to a 1950s style British boarding school. The show investigates whether the school standards of the time helped to produce better exam results. As part of the experience, the students are expected to board at a traditional school house with strict discipline and a 1950s diet. After four weeks, the students take their final exams, produced to the same standard as today’s exams.

Watch the video by clicking on the link and think about these questions:

1. What do you think of the discipline?

2. Would you enjoy being a pupil in a 1950’s boarding school?

3. Would you take part in a TV programme like this?

That' ll Teach 'Em Misbehaving Boy: video (4mins)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xf8oq4_that-ll-teach-em-misbehaving-boy_shortfilms

No more corporal punishment !

Your might think corporal punishment works in school, but you're wrong. It's only useful the first or second time. Maybe children are frightened by your punishment, but they will dislike what you teach. Therefore you have to use some good and useful methods to discipline or teach them. For example, if children don't do their homework, you must find out the reason and then solve the problem. It's good for parents to take an interest in what their children do. Spending time with them instead of blame and corporal punishment is the best way.

Frank