The UK's 'strictest' Head Teacher on The Big Question - Katharine Birbalsingh joins Mark Dolan

[@JG-us9lu]

May be she could sort out the children in the House of Commons.

[@veryhappychappy12]

👍. That's a lost cause. Even this wonderful lady would fail in that pit of despond.

[@lmg7503]

Brilliant.

[@michaelmurray7220]

Wish I could give this more than one up vote.

[@johanna2059]

Borris still looks like an overgrown Hurray Henry but I think his ship has sailed regarding giving him a useful education. 🤔

[@differous01]

Boris "They don't want me to say this" Johnson has made it clear "they" have their own curriculum. Rule Britannia isn't on it.

[@redjacc7581]

about time some real values were instilled into a school.

[@paulbrunton877]

100 % correct.

[@philmaiden4630]

Please make her education secretary. Get rid of any politician looking for that post.

[@rgs6236]

I agree

[@paulbrunton877]

100 % correct.

[@elkpaz560]

I'd prefer Toby Young.

[@jackybrown3917]

Love this woman, I have listened to her on talk radio and the new culture forum, she makes so much sense. How I wish that every child in this country was blessed enough to be educated using this ladies methods. What a marvellous grounding she and her staff are offering their pupils.

[@YMC1955]

I agree with you, discipline and respect is what is sorely lacking in schools, get that right and the teaching is easy....we need more teachers like Katharine, love to listen to her talk..

[@jackybrown3917]

@Anya Wale how exactly did you come to that conclusion?

[@trevorjones3273]

@Anya Wale No, she is NOT!

[@pjrobben7613]

She is only doing what we were taught years ago, school to day is joke, if we got on trouble at school you certainly did not let your parent know, otherwise you were punished again.

[@trevorjones3273]

@Anya Wale Then get out of the comments section. You're a dictator if you don't debate.

[@dh1872]

I wish this wonderful lady had been head of my school. She is brilliant.

[@veryhappychappy12]

Seconded. Her enthusiasm for childrens education is wonderful to see.

[@James-zu1ij]

@Anya Wale 🤣

[@James-zu1ij]

@Anya Wale It was just a remark out of the blue, without context and 180 against all other opinion. That tickled me. Why don't you like her?

[@James-zu1ij]

@Anya Wale I can imagine. She comes across as perfect, pressing all the right buttons. Possibly a control freak.

[@davidjma7226]

I bet she is an absolute tyrant to work with. Ask her teachers! Bet she doesn't have kids!

[@chrisc5275]

A marvellous educationalist. Her words about the crucial role of parents ring true. My mother taught me to read and count and do tables before I got to infant school.

[@ofofononoiwa9397]

@jack mac I swear

[@taraelizabethdensley9475]

My mum was the same, although I always struggled with maths.

[@Electriclentilman]

What a fantastic role model woman .

[@bloodboughtbigphilr8266]

The country needs more teachers like Katherine and a better, respectful and more accomplished society we would surely be. Inspiring woman.

[@danielturner9027]

Sounds miserable.

[@ms.miller7311]

@@danielturner9027 You know the saddest thing about societies around the world today? They are too focused on sexuality and gender. This is partly some of a teachers business to tell children: "This is your body, and you need to love and respect your own body." But they do not do this: they make it complicated. In turn a child is left in a bubble of disappointment, for itself and its self-worth. We all need to accept whom we are, and that we cannot change all of us, we can adapt. A teacher has to teacher has to prepare a child to become adaptable and to face adversity. It is not a teachers job to become psychologists and try to work those things out. I had several grievances about my teachers but boundaries and respect is one thing the best teachers taught us. This is about boundaries and respect. A child, has a voice: we have forgotten this in the UK. We do not have Gretas and we do not have Malalahs. What we have are a lot of broken hearts, a lot of traumatised children, especially after LOCKDOWN. It would take a lot of love and respect, to get these children to be able to perform to high peaks. Boundaries and respect needs to be gibbon! The other problem with the whole psychological aspect of children, is that some parents have been given extra funding to support that child's wellbeing. Lets face it, there is not a manual to being the best parent. You just need to try and be the best. Parents need to be able to communicate better and there needs to be mutual respect. It is bad pedagogical understanding if you ignore the parent, and do not try to get a parent not to help a child to try and behave accordingly in school. It is a failure in the system, that a parent is not even told about their child's rebellious nature in school. As a child would never want to disappoint their parent, unless that parent is abusive. A teacher then has to report any forms of abuse because you can get a child to perform without even physical altercation. Trust me. Boundary setting, creates that opportunity of trust and thinking. A teacher cannot neglect that responsibility and abuse a child more, if they are abused at home. Then a child just will not perform, it will break.

[@ms.miller7311]

@Anya Wale Thank you but, It is not a religion, it is basic ethics. You cannot pay parents or a child for it's disabilities, we can only try and enable them to perform better. The reward system is just, corruption in of itself. The teachers unions are not able to even help teachers because of this reward system.

[@ms.miller7311]

@Anya Wale Begging your pardon, but, I think you misunderstood. I am not for anyone being rewarded for their disabilities. You are either given the support by the state and your parents are to ensure your education is structured and that you perform. No one gets extra money. You toughen up and adapt. That is what life is all about! I do not think Birbalsingh is against anyone. Why do you think she is angry at your intellect?

[@ms.miller7311]

@Anya Wale Unless you want to pay teachers more, and make them paid more than politicians for being deeply involved in people's psychological wellbeing; then I am afraid you are taking other people whom are trained to do those jobs, out of a job. It is under no circumstances that a teacher needs to even look at your identity and capitulate into this racist screaming match of calling people white privilege. Not a teachers job. A teachers job is to help a student perform. The clinical and social sciences, are the ones whom can adjust a child's circumstances. Rights are to be given back to the parent and Rights are taken away from the parent if they abuse the child. Simple. Other than that I don't think your identity should be evaluated by a teacher. You are meant to be treated the same, and not excluded in any way shape or form at school

[@spiritfiremsp]

Wow. She is so good. What a professional and erudite headteacher. What a shame that dogma and ideology has taken hold of so many in accademia that they can no longer be counted as 'professional'.

[@antonellaachler5906]

As a head teacher, she is unique! Certainly one in a million She puts the majority of head teachers to shame ! She is absolutely right It’s about the culture and ethos you create Children can see through BS and hypocrisy

[@denisehay8895]

This is what we need in our schools. Jordan Peterson would approve of this head teacher.

[@chris-mg5ui]

Kids need discipline as it helps them feel secure to know where their boundaries are. Of course, they will keep testing those boundaries to make sure they are still there. But in a school like this one, they find out early that they dont need to keep testing them

[@lizzieck2576]

I would love to see a conversation between the two of them!

[@jerribee1]

I thought exactly the same thing.

[@sukhdeepbutty2399]

Jordan Peterson would also approve drugs

[@SpadgerMcTeagle1]

This woman has set a bench mark from which to turn education around from the nonsense kids have been indocternated with for the last 10 years. Maybe our country will have a future.

[@LoudaroundLincoln]

We need another foreigner in this country like we need a hole in the head. Who is this creature who thinks they are entitled to a voice in how we do things. It's the opposite of why I voted for brexit.

[@alwest4472]

@@LoudaroundLincoln ok racist

[@bluexboxgamer2613]

@@alwest4472 although he goes too far with his racist beliefs, he's not wrong. This vile woman is creating a system that doesn't help children or create good schools, she's creating a system where children are belittled and oppressed and is creating essentially prisons. Her ally, Barry Smith, literally attacked a student when he was a headteacher at Great Yarmouth. He also terrorised the Abbey School in Faversham, where he literally yelled at children and even made fun of someone who had problems with their leg.

[@alwest4472]

@@bluexboxgamer2613 ah yeah I agree couldn’t have put it better myself.

[@bluexboxgamer2613]

@@alwest4472 Yes, Katherine might have a point about the education system's failing of children and interacting with children when they're young, but she goes too far with her school's approach to rules. I can't even call it strict, it's just straight up abuse of power.

[@kevinbanks2795]

This woman got more sense then the hole education system in Britain shes fantastic teacher a perfect role model

[@kenrehill8775]

Whole

[@paulbrunton877]

100 % correct.

[@chrisc5275]

The contrast between her and that useless article Williamson could not be more clear.

[@GandalfTheGay98]

Than

[@kenrehill8775]

@Anya Wale you’d Wale if I got into your whole

[@julieclark8976]

This woman needs to be teaching woke teachers to teach 🙏 I want my grandkids to go to her school 😍 my grandson is 10 never had a phone let alone a smartphone! 😊

[@suzimonkey345]

I made sure that the school outright bans mobile phones before my daughter attended her school.

[@yanbibiya]

What's that got to do with anything at all. You are just mapping your own beliefs on to a utopian idea.

[@boobrancher9941]

I like her, she exudes competence. Need more like her to do a great job, education is key for all societies.

[@swansong5263]

I remember some wonderful inspiring teachers Here in England in the 50,s!

[@pjrobben7613]

Plus parents taught their children, respect, manners and decency long forgotten today.

[@brianconnor1036]

Never heard of her before but after listening to this and all her awards, she should be a political leader indicating to these rsoles in charge how it should be done but her policies would now be deemed not correct in a polite way. Get this woman sorting our education of our youth for our countries future.

[@loafersheffield]

She did a podcast with Triggernometry. It's worth checking out.

[@thecuttingsark5094]

Mainstream state school teachers hate her.

[@pjrobben7613]

She is what we would class as an old fashioned teacher, thanks for bringing back proper education, brave woman in today's world.

[@ShoshiPlatypus]

@@thecuttingsark5094 I’m not surprised. These woke lefties who’ve put their brains into cold storage can’t stand anyone with any intelligence who talks sense because it goes against their way of “thinking.” Reason and critical thinking and good old-fashioned common sense are rare these days and people can’t bear to be challenged for their lack of these things. After all, the greatest crime these days is to offend, or even to be thought to offend, anyone. People like that are a disgrace to education and in my view they are perpetrating crimes against children. Their unions only look after the interests of their members, not the interests of the children whom they are supposed to be teaching.

[@ChiefWizard666]

I attended a grammar school in the late 50's - early 60's. We had very similar discipline at school back then. Most of us were from working class backgrounds but, like myself, went on to become engineers, accountants (one of the lads went on to play rugby for England, another played cricket for the country). The point is that we were given the tools to make an improvement to our lives.

[@paulbrunton877]

100 % correct.

[@thecuttingsark5094]

And the left wing ideology got rid of Grammar schools because they were ‘elitist’. Forgetting the fact that they gave working class children a good chance in life

[@Poshypaws]

@@thecuttingsark5094 ... and casting others onto the Secondary Modern pile or Technical school pile. Strangely, Finland adopted comprehensive education in the 1960s and today in the 21st century the Finnish education system is considered in the top five in the world. Unfortunately, this wholly baseless comment about left wing and grammar schools cuts no water as Thatcher at the DES, 1970-74, instigated the closure policy fast than other minister before or since. Quite clearly, there is little knowledge emanating from the original one and half lines as comprehensive education in the UK has allowed very many to achieve far greater educational outcomes than under the tripartite Butler system of 1944.

[@thecuttingsark5094]

@@Poshypaws ‘comprehensive education in the UK has allowed very many to achieve far more’. I would love to know what ‘baseless’ facts you used to come up with that rubbish.

[@ChiefWizard666]

@@thecuttingsark5094 Exactly my point. This lady seems to be running her school along similar lines. About 4 or 5 years after I left school I had to make a job related visit, by which time it had gone comprehensive and co-ed (it was a boys school when I went there). I could not believe the slovenly way in which the pupils behaved and dressed.

[@magnuswalker7957]

Thankfully she is not alone, there was a fantastic head teacher, now retired, in our area. Thank goodness she was head during our grandchildrens junior education.

[@trevorjones3273]

@Anya Wale No, YOU are alone and a sad sleazy woman.

[@shawnaweesner3759]

Katharine Birbalsingh is such an inspiration to teachers and students!

[@MrDMc1981]

the mask wearing and testing of secondary school pupils is heartbreaking and inhumane, and as for injecting them, I despair

[@chrishart8548]

And we refused it all. No testing. Vaccine over my dead body. And we got an exception badge to not wear the mask.

[@leemaguire4331]

@Chris Hart. You say we but we adults know it wasnt your descision. Im presuming you are talking about your child who decides and overides you. If your a teacher in this school then it would be vaccines, not vaccine.

[@chrishart8548]

@@leemaguire4331 I'm only talking about my child. We're all individuals in the world.

[@johanna2059]

@@chrishart8548 It's views like yours that still causes outbreaks of potentially deadly diseases like Measles, TB and Polio around the world. These diseases would still be rampant if it wasn't for vaccines. If people like you had their way the human race could well be wiped out by now. As for asking a teenager to wear a mask, how on earth is that going to harm a child when it's proven that masks stop the spread of viruses and germs.

[@littleboots9800]

@@johanna2059 why do you assume all ppl who are wary about this particular vaccine are anti vax in general? Also, evidence on mask wearing is debated and it is genuinely harmful for some. If masks are so amazing why do medical staff in gowns/aprons, gloves, masks and visors still catch covid?

[@thepiggyprophet]

I wish I could send my children in a school like that, I'm actually homeschooling my kids because after just one year of school I've seen how bad and toxic the public education is.

[@suzimonkey345]

I’m sorry. That sucks!! We are fortunate to live in one of the few areas that still have really good Grammar schools in our area. The local Academy seems pretty good too…Our youngest has only been attending for a few weeks though. We’ve only got their statistics, promises & appearances to judge by so far! If she doesn’t thrive I will be homeschooling like you! 🙂

[@dorinmicu7511]

Very inspirational! Really a Teacher worth of this name. God bless your work Katharine! Lot of thanks.

[@lmg7503]

What a charming, good-humoured and level headed lady and her understanding and demands should be rolled out countrywide.

[@suzimonkey345]

She’s fantastic! She’s done some long interviews with the “Triggernometry” guys here on KZbin. I really enjoyed listening to her!

[@lmg7503]

@Anya Wale 😁

[@johannabarry6325]

Wonderful. Could she please take control of the uk education system. We desperately need reform.

[@thecuttingsark5094]

I quit my teaching job a few years ago and agree with everything she said. The whole system is a mess.

[@loafersheffield]

Contrarian prize!? So, she encourages kids how to think and not what to think. Ooof! Dangerous. Cancel her. Cancel her!!!! Deep sarcasm btw

[@MrHws5mp]

Well there's two sides to her philosophy: on the one hand, yes, you need to know HOW to think, but also, WHAT you think will have little value unless it's based on a suitably large body of knowledge, that is to say FACTS. So she does encourage the teaching of facts (the "list of dead kings" approach to history, for example), which is another approach that's fallen from fashion in recent decades.

[@MrHws5mp]

@Anya Wale Children are in the care of adults because they have neither the information nor the experience to make good decisions for themselves. it is flatly impossible to care for them while providing that information if they don't obey the adults in legitimate positions of authority around them such as their parents and their teachers. So yes, she teaches them to do what they're told, while they learn the complications of when to obey and when not to out in the real world.

[@wm5113]

This interview should be broadcast all over the UK, and in the schools!! Thank you GB news for covering..

[@paulbrunton877]

100 % correct.

[@iainrae6159]

Brilliant woman who values high standard and refuses to allow pupils to see themselves as 'victims'.

[@edwardst-pierre1020]

So what are our children learning today because what I see what's going on in the world I believe we aren't doing a good job.

[@Ben-rg3rd]

@@edwardst-pierre1020 over 75% of the stuff learned in schools is pointless for majority of jobs

[@stephengreen9720]

For the love of god Someone get this woman in charge of education !!!!

[@thetimeisnow6822]

WE NEED HER TO WRITE OUR NEW CURRICULUM FOR OUR SCHOOLS IN THE UK.

[@ruthcollins5140]

Half of kids at age of 7 can't even read let alone write. I think the strict system of the 1960s should be brought back. My nephew is a primary school teacher & taught here in a bad CE school (head was bad) and then a good multirace one (head was good) before going to Switzerland to teach in an International one. He's so good that they are trying to get him into management but he says "No, I want to teach". BTW I started school at 3 & could read & write by then thanks to Mum & Dad and their time teaching me.

[@thomasjohnston8970]

God multi race one? What does that mean?

[@mystrength5640]

Katharine congratulations! You are a Breathe of fresh air!

[@robertvalence7899]

Wow - thank you for airing this - this lady is a phenomenon. And she earned her CBE 1000%

[@bradbrad3937]

Breath of fresh air , I was really starting to detest teachers but I would happily send my kids to anyone who thinks like this … It’s the university’s that desperately need clearing out and starting again

[@chrissaltaur1254]

What a remarkable woman. She should be our education secretary.

[@ShoshiPlatypus]

If she was, she wouldn’t be teaching children any longer, which would be a great loss. She’s a fabulous teacher and a remarkable person all round!

[@lindsaybeech9125]

Can't believe she even has to say that parents have a responsibility to educate their own children!

[@elaineagar6128]

I've not listened to her yet but doesn't education start by reading to your children. A teacher once said to my 6 year old daughter " you carry on like this you could have any job you wanted " that was fantastic amazing. As we walked away my daughter said " I want to work at tesco " lol she's just finishing hers masters and starting her life in doing what ever job makes her happy .

[@paulbrunton877]

She is correct, discipline starts at home, because it gives a reward of respect, and good old British values.

[@elaineagar6128]

As I a child I loved reading when I had my children I read to them . My daughter from one loved books and started reading by herself early . When my children went to high-school I said do your best . That's all the can ask of you . And I'm proud of both of them they are 25 and 22 just starting on the path of life .

[@jahkope]

This is how every school should be run, she is fantastic.

[@riverdonoghue9992]

I like what she said about smart phones. Kids are addicted to them. Irish schools have banned them and parents have supported this.

[@jimkennedy4509]

Love this woman.

[@paulbrunton877]

Fabulous woman, she is good, if only more would be there for the youngsters at schools.

[@chriso8485]

Please reform the expensive, out of touch, hated and hateful Ofsted

[@andrewhesketh7977]

This guy is the best anchor/commentator

[@winstonsmithsoul]

Omg, this approach is just common sense. How on earth is this an outliner of pedagogical philosophy. Student led learning is an ideological stew of confused concepts. Leave that rubbish to University where students pay their own fees to succeed or fail.

[@chrisc5275]

Absolutely. The learner led philosophy only really works for adults and then only partially. I’ve spent years in adult vocational education in heavily regulated industry (railways) and there the place for student leadership in its purist sense is extremely limited.

[@Pareshbpatel]

How lucky are the children who attend her school.

[@joshuanesbit]

shes so good

[@deecook180]

This school sounds wonderful. I went to a school where the kids ruled and the teachers gave in. I left school at 15 unable to concentrate with all the disruptions.

[@deecook180]

@Anya Wale oh I didn't give in,i went on to take exams and I have been very successful in my career. 😁😁

[@deecook180]

@Anya Wale I was stating a fact not competing. Life is precious, but serious? Leave room for fun.

[@deecook180]

@Anya Wale Best wishes to you, life is a challenge, that I know.

[@susanbell7142]

old fashion teacher, BRAVO

[@susanbell7142]

@Anya Wale grow up,

[@paulwild4330]

Refreshing to have a clear leader to listen to rather than the ideological rubbish being taught in state schools

[@richardkent4136]

Taught for 20 years, would love to work for this woman.

[@JonseyWales]

We desperately need more teachers like her!!

[@DavidGetling]

As someone on record as saying "there is no such thing as good online learning" I would have liked to have heard Katherine views on the way kids have had their education and mental health buggered to hell over the last 18 months. If I was still in the classroom I would have insisted on continuing to teach there and point blank refused to con kids with online "learning".

[@DavidGetling]

@Andy Mann What an erudite and mature response.

[@tobywebb6452]

This woman talks so much sense 👍

[@angusdesire]

I teach English in Sofia, Bulgaria. From 2006 until 2013 I worked for the British Council where I was assured in their 'progressive' manner that, "kids aren't interested in reading, do projects, do teambuilding". Is that right? I thought. Well, I got hold of a bunch of graded readers with audio and before long I had 10 year old kids transfixed on Dickens, Stevenson et al. In 2013 I set up the Scottish Cultural Centre where we teach very much in the same vein as Katherine and guess what, success to success as we go. You are an ispiration madam and God bless you.

[@freakbrothers2012]

I'm suddenly in favour of scientists research in cloning! We could do with a few thousand of this lady.

[@johnblack3313]

All Kudos to her, if all teachers were like her?

[@nicolelee3936]

She’s amazing and I visited her school. I walked through classes. I looked at student work and notebooks. It’s exactly what she describes.

[@nicksmith3245]

Less than 2 mins and I was sold! Our leaders MUST get more schools and teachers like these! Inspirational woman!

[@MegaPaul1959]

Bet there is a HUGE waiting list of parents wanting to get their kids into her school! WHAT? NO CRITICAL RACE THEORY ???

[@crowbar9566]

I like her, but I think she's only strict by modern standards. Plenty of far stricter headteachers in the past, even the 1990s when I was at school.

[@riverdonoghue9992]

I agree

[@patwoods6487]

A brilliant Woman.

[@jimkennedy4509]

She is great.

[@johnblowes600]

Just the intro to this was fantastic……schools are so poor in real education ….good for her

[@paulbrunton877]

100 % correct.

[@clarkkent4683]

Self limiting mindsets keeps poor people poor

[@NeinBreaker]

Oh, how I wish I were sent to a school like that when I was younger…

[@NeinBreaker]

@Anya Wale Why do you assume that?

[@markcorby2830]

This woman is fantastic!!!

[@jaspalbhangra4609]

I would 100% send my children to her school. I agree, believe and understand everything she is saying...

[@pamelajudithrwanyarare8429]

She is no different from teachers in Africa and Asia. Its Europeans who are spoilt.

[@edwardst-pierre1020]

Society is failing when it comes to education of our children.but this talk of diversity is also what's wrong with education today. All children must learn with the same values and views of the world and must master English as a rule.

[@edwardst-pierre1020]

@Andy Mann what are you talking about when you talk about white people you sound like a bigot and if you don't know what values mean then it's you who have a serious problem. I would fear islamist more than white people.

[@mikegrigg11]

Put her in every school and watch the world change !!

[@squidgy6930]

I can’t believe that the school’s just put lively kids in a empty room and leave them there day after day just to make life easier for themselves

[@MrDMc1981]

you have no idea what goes on, a 'school' I worked in years ago told the most challenging children to stay at home when Ofsted were coming in. Its all smoke and mirrors

[@squidgy6930]

@@MrDMc1981 I’m a single dad I am furious about how my daughter was treated She needed discipline and stability from them But was treated like an inconvenience

[@MrDMc1981]

@@squidgy6930 sounds about right mate, failed by the system, then failed again

[@robbiepeterh]

I despair that her line of thinking isn’t mainstream. Everything she says is absolutely patently and obviously true. As a teacher, I’ve seen utter insanity in the schools I’ve worked in which has led me to the deepest depths of despair. I keep bouncing back but wonder for how much longer I can keep going on being constantly disrespected by children. Most days, it’s a battle from minute one to the final minute of asking children to stop talking and get on with some work and then being sworn at, threatened etc etc etc That’s life for a teacher today in the UK in working class areas. A lot of students are so obnoxious they seem pleased to know nothing and have no interest in anything academic and have one desire - to disrupt the learning of others and anger adults. They then have children whilst still teenagers, don’t get jobs, the state steps in and pays the child, and the cycle continues. This has been going on for generations. Literally generations of families who have never worked a single day in their life, either at school or in the workplace. Utter insanity.

[@lynne3124]

I was educated in the 1960s and compared to today it was amazing in a secondary school. The teachers all knew every pupil. That same school now has 5 times as many pupils as then, so I feel sorry for them all,. kids and teachers. We were not allowed out at lunchtime either until the last year and had great school dinners and dinner ladies. Wasn't it 4.30pm finish then as well?, no inset days either. Sex education was about frogs at 13years, now...5 years old now. Woe is the education system now unless you have money. It's a bloody disgrace.

[@cornishhh]

IIRC secondary school was 8.45 to 3.45 in the early 1970's.

[@pg3765]

If only all teachers were as Miss Snuffy! Absolutely brilliant and outstanding lady. Teacher led learning is the approach that works in the long term.

[@pg3765]

@Andy Mann I respect your rights to have an option but I will strongly disagree here.

[@pg3765]

@Andy Mann yes I do. That is why I see all the damage done to children who arent taught in a traditional way.

[@pg3765]

@Andy Mann no worries. Have you personally visited her school, spoken with her staff and seen pupils?

[@pg3765]

@Andy Mann there is your problem. You never saw but talk and talk.

[@webber977]

Never mind Headmistress make her the Education secretary

[@ThePierre58]

After listening to this woman, I want to be a teacher.

[@dannysaleem8214]

If I was a Teacher, I would definitely apply for a job at her school.

[@cb6171]

Really enjoyed that interview , Katharine is awesome , love her work. I wish she was the head in my school , i really hope she can be involved at a higher level within the education system

[@JB-yf4nh]

Miss snuffy is pretty much spot on.

[@elaineagar6128]

In nursery the teachers knew my daughter had potential . And yes I read to my kids as babys .

[@kafkastrial8650]

A teacher that is not a steaming leftie ? we could do with a lot more like this !

[@paulbrunton877]

100 % correct.

[@thecuttingsark5094]

Totally correct, and given the choice I bet a large part of the population would want more schools like hers but the state education system won’t allow it.

[@kafkastrial8650]

@Anya Wale I am glad you pointed that out !

[@surindergrewal4640]

Inspirational lady passion belief pragmatism great philosophy- common sense - carm authority - wow how impressive got her finger completely on the issues - need people like this to charter the future education agenda + society

[@thundercity311]

Why are those poor kids wearing masks?

[@PugMaxer]

"Effected the lives of thousands of young people who have passed through her doors" Couldn't have picked any other way to say that? Lol

[@Exiledk]

*Affected.. the lives... You didn't pay attention at school, did you?

[@PugMaxer]

@@Exiledk Not to spelling tests no :)

[@thesolidsnakealpha]

This woman should be education secretary.

[@dembydish]

Standard public school rules from the 70s. How has this become so unusual and extreme? However, I didn't hear anything about hair length and tidyness mentioned.

[@gbentley8176]

Pretty much as I remember from public school in the fifties and sixties. We learned french, history, music notation, elocution, drama, maths and fractions at kindergarten as well as tables and reading to the class. By the time prep school arrived you felt quite on top of things. Discipline, helping others and dress went without saying. Respect for our teachers was enormous.

[@nemesis0720]

She is a nobilitis naturalis! "The conviction is rightly gaining ground that the important thing is that every society should have a small but influential group of leaders who feel themselves to be the whole community’s guardians of inviolable norms and values and who strictly live up to this guardianship. What we need is true nobilitas naturalis. No era can do without it, least of all ours, when so much is shaking and crumbling away. We need a natural nobility whose authority is, fortunately, readily accepted by all men, an elite deriving its title solely from supreme performance and peerless moral example and invested with the moral dignity of such a life."

[@G82-l3i]

Or maybe the main reason is people turn from the left to the right is they wake up to lunacy

[@bcatcool]

Ban social media until 18.

[@riverdonoghue9992]

I agree. Its the new addiction.

[@stephenmaddax3182]

A wise girl keep up the good work you’ve got it right !!!!!

[@AM2K2]

great teacher

[@Exiledk]

How great to see the interviewer giving the interviewee all the time she needs to answer without interuption. Bravo. This is what will make GBN bigger and better.

[@louisgiokas2206]

She is wonderful. I followed her on Twitter, when I was on Twitter (no longer). I have seen some of her videos and am greatly impressed. I speak up because I was a school governor at a comprehensive primary school in Winchester. As a foreigner I had to get elected, then permission to server from the Home Office. My sons started their education there. The head teacher was wonderful. One reason they wanted me was that I worked for a big computer firm, and as expected, I got them free computers from that firm. Over time, I developed a good relation with the head, and was asked to be part of the interview process for teaching staff and ever the new deputy head. As for parent involvement, we had been reading to our children from birth. I got so that I had memorized some of them. One day, at work, I recited Mo Ba LaLaLa. Most of my colleagues seemed somewhat disturbed. Most did not have kids. My children could read, and count, when they entered school. Actually, at a family and friends party by older son was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. He said a paleontologist. He even spelled it. He was 2-1/2. I say all this not to brag, but to amplify what Katharine is saying.

[@louisgiokas2206]

@Anya Wale Well, I was not an immigrant. I was sent there by a large company, which employed thousands of UK citizens, to start up a new technology group. I had a fixed term visa. Frankly, I would not have moved permanently. Loved my time there, but like it better here. What part of my behavior would she be against?

[@cecilefox9136]

I agree about the support of teachers!

[@vitaemecha]

In the 80s, Thatcher's schools would literally tell parents off if kids knew how to read and write before they started school. I could read and write by the age of three. My school almost threatened my parents with social services over it unreal. Absolutely agree that parents should teach their children.

[@vitaemecha]

@Anya Wale My partner is a teacher and loves her ideas but I think that her way of doing things is a little totalitarian with a risk of turning some children into neurotic adults.

[@clivewalford3148]

i like this already

[@riverdonoghue9992]

I know so many passionate teachers who have left the profession because of the horrendous discipline problems.

[@trolareca]

I love this lady! I wish more schools were like hers.

[@gosskamperis2016]

More teachers and head teachers like Katharine Birbalsingh please

[@TheOverlordOfProcrastination]

She’s fantastic.

[@Iain1962]

"When they learn their times tables"? I wonder about that, do schools teach the times tables any more? Most youngsters I meet don't have a clue, ask them what 7 times 9 is they will be completely stumped.

[@andycotton162]

At my wife's school, they teach times tables from year 4-6