- Paperback: 395 pages
- Publisher: Sphere; New edition edition (5 Feb 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0751522740
- ISBN-13: 978-0751522747
- Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 391,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
'Prophetic and provocative, this is likely to become the most discussed work of social criticism since Allan Bloom's THE CLOSING OF THE AMERICAN MIND.' Jonathan Sacks '... [a] seminal book... the issues Phillips discusses are what really matter... it is deeply disturbing that so many educationalists appear unable to accept any evidence which challenges their own complacency and prejudice.' Chris Woodhead, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools, SUNDAY TIMES 'An awesome polemic... If we fudge her questions, we will be courting disaster... The reader is swept along by this passion which is linked to superb writing and a fiercely independent mind.' GUARDIAN 'Essential reading' SPECTATOR '...a book which raises many uncomfortable questions for those of us who care about what is happening in our society.' Ian Wilson, Head Teacher, FABIAN REVIEW 'A brave book... Like the good journalist she is, she uses personal interviews to great effect, but she has also done her homework... as she is right on all the important issues, she is also right to protest as energetically as she does.' Dr Eric Anderson, TLS 'I have finally got round to reading the most terrifying book of the decade and recommend it to every parent, grandparent and teacher who cares about the education of the next generation.' EXPRESS
Sunday Times
"seminal"
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A thought provoking analysis of some educational theory,
By
This review is from: All Must Have Prizes (Paperback)
I have been a secondary school teacher for 20 years an I have seen the moral chaos at first hand in some schools, in others, key members of senior management have decided to stop the rot and been successful in doing so. In my classes, I have always adopted a didactic and disciplinarian approach - if you decide to follow this course than you have to kiss your career good bye; if you want to be senior management, then a PC approach is the key, with lots of child-centered BS in your CV to help your application along. Student voice is one example of the madness, where children interview prospective teachers, I refuse to allow this. Melanie Philips cleverly analyses the causes for the moral breakdown and gives some fairly heavyweight intellectual support for her opinions. At times she takes the words of extreme progressives too seriously - common sense prevails at the end of the day - it has to. I found this very stimulating and well worth a read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Decline of British education,
By
This review is from: All Must Have Prizes (Hardcover)
This book details the decline of British education, and lies the blame on soft liberal attitudes, and the idea that children can derive more benefit by finding out for themselves. The book was written in 1996, and so details the decline in standards from the 1980s to this time. If Melanie Phillips were to bring out a new book, with an update of what has happended since 1996, her conclusions would be even more scary.
I have been a teacher since 1978, so I am aware of how what is currently taught fares with what I use to teach. My main subject is mathematics and this has seen a catastrophic decline in standards, and yet the current government will tell you that standards have improved and will back this up with the increased numbers of GCSE passes at good grades (A* - C). But if you look a little deeper into the content of GCE O'level, CSE and the current GCSE exams, you will see that there is no comparison. Today you need to achieve at least a grade A, to be of comparable ability of a bottom grade O'level pass in the 1980s. The current foundation level GCSE papers contain alot of material that should have been mastered by age 9. I find the book really interesting, mainly because I am familiar with many of the topics being discussed and many things that Melanie states and backs up with fact, ring true with my experience. It discusses the move away from traditional classroom teaching to a more child-centred approach. It talks about the lack of ability of University students, and the consequent need for academics to dumb down courses, precisely because the students could not cope otherwise. In fact this process continues, so that when it comes to recruiting University lecturers, it is difficult to find some one from this country who is suitably able to work at this level. I have seen all this. More recently you could not be graded a good teacher unless you make use of computer facilities and interactive whiteboards, even if their use is totally inappropriate for a particular lesson. This is precisely why standards, particularly in mathematics education are declining in this country, and that of countries such as China continue to produce better mathematicians, which on average are at least 3 years ahead. This book is a real eye-opener, even though it is quite old now. What is said in this book still is relevant. The only thing is, the state of education is now far worse. This is an important book to read, for anyone interested in education. I am afraid that my review doesn't really do justice to this fine book. I can only emphasize that you should read it now.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very one-sided but scores a lot of direct hits,
By
This review is from: All Must Have Prizes (Hardcover)
This trenchant 1996 polemic against the modern style of education is one of the most one-sided books I have ever read. But that does not mean it can be ignored.
Neither the school where I am about to conclude 20 years as a governor, nor the school which my own children currently attend, bear much resemblance to the picture painted in this book. However, I did see hints of this picture in the school where I was previously a governor. More to the point, I have met far too many parents, teachers, and employers who do recognise the stories in this book as a description of what has been inflicted on their children, pupils, or new employees, to lightly dismiss them. The arguments presented by Melanie Phillips may not apply to every school, perhaps they don't even apply to the majority of schools, but they do seem to have some relevance as a description of what went wrong in the late 20th century in too many unsuccessful British schools. From the newpaper articles by the author and her close intellectual ally, former head of the schools inspectorate Phillip Woodhead, I am sure she would argue that these problems have not been solved - and sadly she probably has a point. The author would now be considered on matters of education to be a conservative (with a small c - this means someone of traditional views, who does not necessarily also support the Conservative party, with a large C.) A conservative is sometimes described as "A liberal who has been mugged by reality". Melanie Phillips started out as a "liberal" (e.g. left wing) Guardian journalist with all the fashionable progressive ideas associated with that position. On one or two issues she still is, witness the sideswipes at Mrs Thatcher which occasionally occur in the book. However, Melanie Phillips changed her position on educational issues from arch-liberal to arch-conservative when she observed at first hand how liberal and progressive teaching methods were failing children. The book is full of examples. I cannot accept that this book is a full and fair picture of every school in Britain at the time it was written or subsequently. It does not describe the schools I know best. But the book does score a very large number of direct hits on things which have gone wrong with some schools and makes very convincing arguments about how complete nonsense from some parts of the educational establishment have made matters worse. Part of the reason the good schools of which I have personal experience have been successful and are not like the schools described in "All must have prizes" is that they have excellent heads who know when to ignore ridiculous advice from DFES (the Department for Education and Skills) or county hall. If you want to have an understanding of the issues around education in Britain, you may or may not agree with this book but you ought to read it.
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