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Bohunt on the BBC - Simon (4th Aug 2015 - 16:53:17) BBC2 at 9pm tonight (Tues 4th) - Bohunt taking part in some sort of social experiment with teachers from China: Would Chinese-style education work on British kids?

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Debbie (4th Aug 2015 - 22:45:02) Hi there yes I watched it found it to be interesting Didn't like the way the children were in the classrooms Tbh I was really dissapointed were the children acting up for the cameras or are they really like this . Being bohunt is voted one of the best schools in the county and have good marks but how if they carry on like it ? Was speaking to one of my friends whom lives in another county She said had you seen the adverts for that school I said no but I said I'm watching it and I had said it's voted one of the top schools she said I very much doubt that have you seen the children I said no I haven't seen the adverts Anyhow I did watch it with my husband what a disgrace is that how children behave in class now a days ? Is that how it is ? I feel ashamed to say that's our local senior school And also if that was one of my children being like that in a class room disturbing others or dissing teachers oh my gosh they would of been in deep trouble with us . As that's not on whilst others are trying to learn And also it's rude disrespectful if that's how the head runs that school and he thinks all that nonsense is ok I won't be sending my child there I rather drive out the village to send to another school . I really thought it was a top notch school I know that obviously there's a lot of that that goes on in schools now a days but not like this surely And also I have heard that there is a lot of bullying in that school too I'm hoping it was just the cameras that hyped these children up as I did have high expectations of this school I don't think I'm that keen now

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Concerned In Liphook (4th Aug 2015 - 22:52:28) TES school of the year? From what I\'ve heard, this is standard behaviour at Bohunt School nowadays. Sadly I\'m shocked by what I\'ve seen on BBC2, it has confirmed my concerns around the attitudes that the students take to school with them - shame on them. My husband mentioned that it is number five trending on Twitter in the world, oh no! #chineseschool #bohunt what have we been led to believe??

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Shelly (5th Aug 2015 - 06:24:20) My daughter goes to Bohunt and it is a fantastic school and the TV programme last night was not really representative. Please remember this is a TV show and therefore carefully edited to make it appeal to viewers, for example they don't have 50 students in one class being taught in a normal lesson! Did you not notice how much quieter the children were when the headteacher came into the classroom, it was completely different behaviour and from what I know of Bohunt that is more of how a 'normal' class would be. Children sat at desks with their heads down, being silent and working away would make for boring TV so think you have to, as with all these things, put it into perspective.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - S.K (5th Aug 2015 - 08:44:20) Despite the constraints of a TV programme/entertainment, the Bohunt teachers & children have shone through. With their clarity of communication, even those 'disruptive' students could justify their issues. It is obvious they want to do their best. As a past parent of Bohunt I continue to be proud of our connection. I look forward to more & it's is a positive advert for the school - worldwide.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Wo (5th Aug 2015 - 08:45:36) I too watched the programme - found it to be very interesting - but I do wonder what the parents think of some of the students behaviour!! I`m surprised that students are allowed to chew gum in lessons. Look forward to seeing it next week.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - jenny (5th Aug 2015 - 17:16:02) I must admit I am an 'oldie' but all my children went through Bohunt in the eighties. They did not chew gum and they respected their teachers. This is an eye-opener for us grandparents who assume our grandchildren go to school and learn the same as always. One appreciates that every child is different and obviously all those individual issues are being addressed. I still think that Sport should be encouraged more -- those children's Dads and Mums probably bike, jog or go to the Gym. I think Neil Strowger is trying to prove that the British System is better as it promotes individuality, choice and self-thinking, but oh dear, I would not want to be a teacher!!

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - stacey (5th Aug 2015 - 21:10:55) I understand from watching last night that chinese children are academically 3 years ahead of British children. We obviously think that British schools are doing a good job, but results of Chinese children are superior. It just confirms my thoughts that the exam system over here has been dumbed down. Obviously some clever editing has gone on but having heard great things about Bohunt, I was disappointed in the pupils.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - JG (6th Aug 2015 - 11:58:58) I'm not sure that the exam system is dumbed-down. Certainly, my children have a far more rigorous education and expectations on them than I did in the eighties. They have considerably more homework. As Neil Strowger pointed out in the press, Chinese children culturally and intuitively are deferential to adults and do as they are told - the Chinese society, under its regime, works because of everyone's compliance with expected norms. Bohunt is dealing with British children, with all their varying family situations and pre-Bohunt experiences and, in the main, ensures that they achieve higher than UK average results and have experiences that make them more rounded-individuals able to cope with UK society and global differences. That said, this programme does appear to be a bit of a school vanity project that may not project the image of 'no low-level disruption' that might have been intended. Reality TV is all constructed in the edit.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - stacey (6th Aug 2015 - 16:29:35) From my own experience at school in the late 60s and 70s only the top ten per cent of pupils at my grammer school obtained high enough grades for university education, that figure would not have been considered low. Now at least three quarters of the class of the average school would get the chance to study at a university. I myself took a pre degree course at university a year ago, did not even open a book and gained top marks in the class and was offered a university place. I was not considered back in the day to have been good enough for university.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Katie (6th Aug 2015 - 22:07:19) I was a teacher in South Korea and China for five years in the noughties, working in both private and public schools. In my experience children & teenagers in both countries are much the same as they are in the UK. They get distracted, they answer back, they fail to do their homework & lie about why, they are cheeky (\"Teacher, do you have a boyfriend? Can I borrow your earrings?...\") and they are certainly NOT all studious by nature. Oh and they swear. A ten year old told me to F*** off because I gave him a hard time for not doing his homework. I worked in several schools in each country and found that the discipline imposed by the strictest Chinese and Korean teachers and parents, (some of which involved hitting children as young as six years old with a bamboo cane) had very erratic effects. Some kids did as they were told, some became completely withdrawn and some dropped out or rebelled. The education systems in China and South Korea are designed to quash individuality and autonomy and to promote the sense that you owe everything to your family/school/nation and nothing to yourself. It fosters an incredible amount of pressure, undermines self esteem and does nothing to encourage creativity and innovation. Korean friends frequently told me their national saying is \"Don\'t innovate, imitate\" Because it\'s economically better to take someone else\'s idea and make it cheaper. Yes, some of the kids on the TV programme need to focus, improve their behaviour and realise that they will be competing for jobs and further education places soon, but they have character, confidence and spirit. It is a breath of fresh air and a joy and some of the gobbiest will no doubt go on to do remarkable things.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Jewell (7th Aug 2015 - 22:44:31) I went to bohunt early 80\'s. I watched bohunt and the Chinese. Basically, strowger chose his best most academic most bright kids. Bohunt is the best! My kids won\'t let me down, my school is perfect. We don\'t have bullying, we only have the best! No! No! No! Those kids were not playing up to the camera. That is school life. Kids are naughty kids are good, kids listen, kids get bored, kids play up, kids back chat! Fact!! No kids are perfect! All strowger cares about is offsted reports! He\'s hardly ever there.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Jay W (7th Aug 2015 - 23:20:17) Lots of editing took place to make more interesting viewing so the reaction of the pupil may not have been in response to the comment by the teacher and vice versa so don't take it at face value. Yes the pupils are talking and commenting but that's quite normal in a classroom these days unless they are specifically told to work in silence. Obviously some are showing off but they are kids after all. Have heard from Bohunt teacher that the Chinese style lessons were so boring that she is sure she would have been messing around in class too. It's a shame pupils need to be entertained in class these days as well as taught but maybe that enhances the learning. Isn't that partly what this experiment was about? Loved the Dam Busters (?) music played to accompany Strowger's marches round his empire!

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Thomas (8th Aug 2015 - 01:44:12) Katie, thanks for taking the time to post details of your impressions gained whilst teaching in China & S Korea. Your comments were very interesting and enlightening. I appreciate learning facts from and hearing the opinions of someone who has first hand experience of the topic being discussed.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - reformed leftie (11th Aug 2015 - 22:00:17) I'm amazed at the attitude and bad manners of these kids. Also, the contrast in terms of attainment with the Chinese kids is massive. Multi-lingual, miles ahead in maths and science. I went to an independent grammar school in the 80's and my education was much more like the Chinese style. Is this one reason that kids educated in the private sector do disproportionately well in life? To quote from tonight's episode " discipline, hard work and competition isn't quite working" - I don't imagine these kids have had that expectation made of them in their sweet short lives.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - stacey (11th Aug 2015 - 23:52:02) I agree with the O P average ability is classed as cleverness these days and every child over here is told how special they are and they are all destined for great things. Unfortunately this leads to crushing realisations sometimes that the world does not owe them anything, and they cannot cope with disappointment so turn to drugs or drink. A Chinese teacher had it right in the first episode, British children do not bother to achieve as highly as the Chinese because the benefit system is there to fall back on. It is a cushion in society the Chinese do not have, so they have the desire to suceed or they do not even have the basics.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Wo (12th Aug 2015 - 08:20:11) Re last nights programme - I thought it was a disgrace for the students to be acting the way they are - does not look good for Bohunt School. Discipline is amiss there.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Jonathan (12th Aug 2015 - 09:29:04) Crumbs! Everyone is saying how awful the kids are, but quite frankly if you're sat in a huge class with a boring lecture (not really a lesson) happening at the front, the I'm not surprised that the students were not engaged and became distracted. Not even many adults could cope with that! In China all the students seem to act like clones and so that system works - not surprising seeing as it's a communist country and the penalties for dissidence are far more severe than here. Not to mention the fact that many children with learning difficulties or behavioural difficulties (like ADHD) would be very unlikely to be allowed to be within classrooms that have this kind of teaching, learning and expectations in China. Both the Bohunt senior teachers seemed pretty appalled at the teaching methods from the Chinese teachers - there is no discipline management and very little to keep the students interested, but then the culture is so different then it's not surprising. Also, it seems pretty unlikely that after 8 years of english schooling the kids are going to be able to cope with a radically different system straight away - you try having someone come in and completely change the way you carry out your everyday job or life - it's going to be pretty hard to adjust! I think it's a big shame that there isn't any coverage of the normal classrooms in this programme for contrast - perhaps then we'd see how the kids behave in a more normal context. But I guess this wouldn't make such great TV - we also have to remember that it's all very cleverly edited to make an entertaining program, so it was always going to highlight the most shocking behaviour. It'll certainly be interesting to see the conclusion next week.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - stacey (12th Aug 2015 - 13:01:30) I had heard that the brightest and best Bohunt pupils were selected for the programme. Obviously each country has it's own way of dealing with pupils who are not mainstream. ADHD is only a western problem I think! Also China is no longer under communism? perhaps we all need their style of teaching! Obviously all inclusive teaching is not for every country either, as not all countries would have the space or means to deal with disability or the extra adult assistants needed in the classroom.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Amy (12th Aug 2015 - 16:52:17) ADHD is a Neurodevelopmental disorder just like Autism and therefore affects people worldwide, certainly not just in the Western world! I don't think the programme accurately reflects the children's normal behaviour and I certainly don't think the Chinese way of teaching would work for our children. There is also the argument that perhaps the behaviour of the children is reflective of their parenting, not their schooling.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - db (12th Aug 2015 - 17:40:40) The arrogance of the Bohunt pupils and lack of courtesy to their visitors did not surprise me. Driving through the village at end of school time some pupils display the same lack of courtesy - strolling across the zebra crossing in The Square, or crossing the road elsewhere in the village, without acknowledging that a driver has stopped for them; walking two or more abreast along the pavement - who gives way? Not them. Such a shame that this programme revealed the lack of respect some of the pupils have for others, and themselves - or maybe not!

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Sophia (12th Aug 2015 - 20:51:47) I am finding this experiment utterly embarrassing to Bohunt! I can understand that the children are unfamiliar with the regime and may have issues with some of the changes to what they're used to but at their age I was shocked at their behaviour and unwillingness to even try most of the time! Their level of respect, or lack there of as the case seems to be, is unbelievable! The Chinese teachers weren't here to be disrespected and ignored, they were here to teach and try to push the pupils to their fullest because they believed that the children could exceed their current levels of success and the pupils from what I've seen so far seem to be throwing it back in their faces. It can't go ignored how much more motivated and passionate the Chinese are about doing well, they have drive and respect and I find it beyond belief the difference in behaviour. I feel that behaviour has played a larger part than education in the first 2 episodes. On that note I was also disturbed by the cynical behavior of the head teacher, I am aware it was approached as a competition however he is clearly unaware of how the kids really behave and in a subtle way pretty much said that the Chinese teachers deserved it for being boring and 'tedious' which is insulting and small minded. As a headteacher in education he should be aware that different students learn differently and a couple of the pupils even admitted that they loved being taught that way because it all made sense to them as much as others may have hated it, either way it is very narrow minded to insult a method of teaching just because he is not fond of it himself (despite having heard that he teaches very much in the same way; standing at the front talking and writing on the board expecting pupils to copy and understand). I have the upmost respect for how patient the Chinese teachers were bearing in mind the black and white difference in behaviour from what they're used to.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - no name (12th Aug 2015 - 21:28:20) The kids always behave like this, I work there and never any sign of the Head Teacher, doubt they know who he is, why also is staff turnover soo huge at Bohunt ???

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - R.T (12th Aug 2015 - 22:21:48) Sophia, I can assure you that the head teacher IS aware of different teaching & learning methods. I don't think he has got to where he is if he didn't know such basic levels within education. As a teacher myself, I can see that this is an experiment and Bohunt have to give the Chinese teachers total control, which they have. Bohunt are only going to override them if there was a real safety issue. Even the most intellectual child isn't going to 'conform' to the Chinese style. Listening to those kids when interviewed, you can tell that they are very intelligent. You need to remember that they are children NOT adults. Give it a rest until the end of this experiment..........

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Teacher (12th Aug 2015 - 22:29:34) There's a high turnover of staff because the staff can't take the pressure. It's a high performing school, so staff are expected to be high standard...if not, out you go. They don't want dead wood in their high achieving school, quite rightly so. If you don't want to work in such a high performing school, where expectations on you are going to be high, then get out!!! Simple. If you are a quality teacher, you'll be fine in Bohunt.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Sharon (13th Aug 2015 - 09:49:37) Interesting conversations going on here. If the children are at school 12 hours a day, and so far have been there for 2 weeks, then the editing team has picked the worst bits to fit into a one hour programme. They haven't shown any bits where they are paying attention because that would be boring. I think this experiment is showing the totally different cultures can't be forced together without some clashes. One thought I have had is that perhaps the Chinese children are ahead of UK children because of the amount of time they spend at school - their school day is twice as long, so it might not be the teaching style, but just the quantity. The experiment should take British teaching methods with the longer Chinese style days and see what happens then. But I feel it is not the style of teaching, but the cultures that account for the difference.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Phea (13th Aug 2015 - 10:46:27) Hi, i go to Bohunt and this is not how we behave in normal lessons, we are not allowed to chew gum in our lessons, and we certainly do not talk over our teachers.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Wo (13th Aug 2015 - 11:52:24) Phea, that is good to hear - hope the programme does not put parents off sending their children there!

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Sophia (19th Aug 2015 - 23:30:31) R.T, I don't doubt that he worked hard to get where he is, I merely question his choice to openly insult their tactics prior to seeing how they work. If the head teacher is going to be like that how do you expect the students to react other than to play up? They shouldn't have needed the head to come in and give them a talking to because they're clearly intelligent children and should have both been spoken to in advance and known better due to their consciences. I am very well aware that they are only children however if they don't learn respect in youth then they shan't have it when they grow up and I was surprised that their initial levels of respect differed so far from some of the students relatively mature views, opinions and insights. I just feel that respect is a very important part of life and it's something that shouldn't be skimped on in any situation, as can be seen by the third episode, since the level of respect from students has risen so has the level of learning and I think that's very important!

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - stacey (20th Aug 2015 - 10:12:22) Friends I know who do not live in liphook or know anything about Bohunt are amazed that it has a good reputation! Maybe that will be revised now. A news feature on the radio emphasised the point that university education has now lead to more than half of our graduates being overqualfied for the jobs they end up with, and need not have bothered going and incurring so much debt.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Jane (20th Aug 2015 - 10:32:35) My children went to Bohunt school and are now in their late teens. I think it's a brilliant school that offers so many opportunities that they wouldn't have got elsewhere. There are always going to be children who play up in class but I personally don't blame the school. Discipline should start at home and be reinforced by the parents. I think the children on the programme were mostly bored but by the last episode you could see their behaviour was vastly improved. I do think there was a lot of clever editing in order to make the kids seem worse in episode 2 building up to the success of episode 3. When we saw clips of the 'normal' classes at Bohunt the children were all shown to be very engaged and willing to learn. It does raise some interesting debate though about how people learn differently and therefore means that teachers have a very difficult job catering for individual needs. Well done Bohunt I say for allowing this to happen and pushing the boundaries!

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Suzanne (20th Aug 2015 - 17:23:15) Sophia, I agree with your comments on Mr Strowger. I did feel he came across as very smug and dismissive of the Chinese way of teaching. Also the children were obviously playing up to the cameras, so I don\'t think their behaviour was indicative of normal lessons.

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Finchie (22nd Aug 2015 - 13:31:51) Good TV which we all enjoyed in our house and sparked great conversation. I suspect some 200 - 300 hours of footage was available and edited - all to make good viewing - as well as a few wanting their 30 seconds of fame ! What I think they should have done is either cut the "Chinese class" time, as they were clearly working extended hours, or have the "Bohunt class" work the same amount of hours. That would have made even stakes. I bet the results would have been very similar. I think the next program should compare and contrast our Parish Council with the North Korean working party. We could then have an extraordinary-behind-closed-doors evaluation on who takes most interest in local community and primary education. I think I know who would win !! Happy Weekend, Finchie

Re: Bohunt on the BBC - Karina (4th Sep 2015 - 09:15:44) Excellent programme! I thought Bohunt were very brave to go on the national TV with this experiment warts and all. It made excellent viewing. The kids were put in front of cameras, often shown not to grasp the new material explained to them - it was not surprising they rebelled. Nobody likes to be shown up. However, I do not condone showing disrespect to teachers and did not like to see some behaviours, but in the end the children showed what they are made of and shone through. The Chinese way or the British? Both have good points, hard work and actually learning new material is good, but so is the creativity and independent thinking promoted by Bohunt. Also, it helps enormously when the students actually find the subject interesting. The English teachers are very good at this. I think that the combination of the two methods is an ideal. More hard work and focus while retaining individuality, creativity and freedom of expression.

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