Behind School Gates

Are you the parent of a child attending a UK school, or perhaps an international one infested with UK teachers? Maybe you are considering a teaching career in one of these schools. If so this is a book you might want to read. We all went to school, and so probably feel we have a good idea of what makes them tick. Some of what I've got to say about how they function might surprise or even alarm you.

A fair proportion of what I've written could apply to schools in many countries (I...
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Are you the parent of a child attending a UK school, or perhaps an international one infested with UK teachers? Maybe you are considering a teaching career in one of these schools. If so this is a book you might want to read. We all went to school, and so probably feel we have a good idea of what makes them tick. Some of what I've got to say about how they function might surprise or even alarm you.

A fair proportion of what I've written could apply to schools in many countries (I have taught in several), but certain aspects are peculiar, or at least more common to the UK: how teachers are recruited, for instance.

As mentioned in the book's introduction, I've seen what goes on in quite a few schools (more than a lot of teachers), and been told a great deal by colleagues and the numerous students I've tutored privately. However, some of the material in the book, for example, the recruitment process, could be discovered by anyone prepared to do the research.

In the UK the schools and government conspire to keep parents and outsiders in the dark. The prime example of this is OFSTED, which for many years has given every school advance notice of its inspections. Can you imagine a health and safety inspector (unless bribed) working in this manner? As expected, this book has generated a fair bit of odium from those with vested interests in keeping things just as they are. There are several poor "reviews" by people who have clearly never read the book, desperately trying to dissuade others from doing so. But, there are also reviews by genuine readers confirming the accuracy of its content.

Many parents, or prospective teachers, may not want their comfortable illusions about the school system shattered, but the rest should read this book and make up their own minds.

This book is priced at, or very close to, the minimum allowed price. It was written in the spirit of public service, rather than to make a profit.