Comments of mine from a Facebook education discussion.

"Joe I never allowed my kids to go to a school where the minority that don't want to learn are dominant. I'd support any parent who walked away from a school like that and it is a totally responsible decision. Many lefty labourites, particularly in York, have done exactly that ! Good for them. At some point we have to just give up on kids and parents who don't want much to do with the education system because they are quite unjustly sucking up a disproportionate amount of resources that can be better spent elsewhere. On my two day Teacher Training Placement I saw some classes where half the kids just put their feet up and I was told most of them had not picked up a pen for months . Chuck them out and give temporary placements to African kids who would relish the opportunity. That would be just.

When I look at how so called disaffected kids abuse the educational system and compare it to the global demand for education it is not the private school kids who are doing anything wrong , at least they work and hard , it is the hundreds of thousands of UK kids who just abuse the system while their African counterparts would fall over to be in a UK school. Giving up on them is the only option and after a few months of that some will come around . I'm looking forward to the day when we don't pander to them ! As soon as any kids kicks off in a classroom they should be kicked out because they are sinning against the majority of kids who want to learn. A Head Teacher on my teaching practice in 1989 told me exactly that and more or less did it. I've seen it and Fiona has worked in it for the last 16 years in Dodmire School Darlington. Any other position is in fact undemocratic. Give the vote to kids to vote out the idiots and see what happens . The wayward will be gone pretty pronto!

It sounds hard but it is how Fiona and I have raised our kids. We just convinced them from an early age that learning , that which interests you is a good thing . At times we have come down on them very very hard when they fell short of their own stated goals . Sometimes in my view you can't be hard enough with kids particularly when they are genuinely confused to the point that they go against the hand that is feeding them. Many kids in UK schools are doing just that and a long time out period would do many of them a lot of good. They can get their education if and when they want it . Time out periods were the main means of disciplining our lads until recently . Our extreme displeasure worked as well. Treats were withdrawn as a matter of course. No problem ran on for more than a few hours under this system. I am amazed sometimes they still love Fiona and I !"

"Just out of interest any kid who comes out on an activity with us eg skateboarding knows there is a standard of behavior and thinking that I expect and if they don't meet those they get timed out . Sure they'll get another chance but not for several months . Time outs always work you just have to do it !"

"But Joe parents are only responsible for their own kids not others. As a humanitarian gesture and a desire to give service I offer help to other kids , maths, writing , hiking , trip to skatepark. Find out how many education researchers and academics send their kids to duff schools where the social engineering they want is going on . Hardly any! None of them really believe it they are just pursuing their academic careers talking about what would be good for others but impossible to attain so its a good excuse for another research paper .Educational research is largely moribund. If they really believed their own ideas they'd put their kids in the duff schools. They don't."

" Class doesn't matter : sound parenting does and thats the only reason a bright kid from a deprived background makes it : great parents no matter what class they are from. Fiona and I could take any poor kid at five and by 18 they'll be in a trade or doing a degree. Good parenting isn't rocket science."

"Most of the middle classes in the UK are totally confused about parenting and there is a great fear about talking about it . They generally fall back on the feeble and untrue view that all parenting styles are valid . They're not and some are actually harmful to kids . A very touchy subject by the way as I found when I was in York from when Miles was born. After 6 weeks of age Miles was trained to be a sound sleeper and I learned the skill from Fionas Mum. Training is the word when raising kids. This meant that the lad was always fresh and never fractious because of regular sleep and a mega advantage for learning if there ever was one . I can't think of one parental intervention that I didn't get from someone else or just by doing the opposite of what all the other Mums were doing . The best York Mum put down from the few I bumped into was because Miles was very content to watch and observe whilst I sat for up to an hour talking within someone over coffee was , " Oh he is very placid isn't he " . Being placid was seen as a negative. Wrong : sitting still is totally necessary for learning . Both he and Clifford are pretty good learners and still have no problem sitting still! Miles was pretty active if you saw him building and building and building for hours at end at home ! Photos coming soon! It was impossible to attend any of the parent groups because I just did it as a househusbnand completely differently and most of them didn't like it . How could I have a discussion about sleep problems with my young un when he didn't have any ! " Like attracts like and seeks the company of its own kind " as it says in the Bahai Writings. No big deal."