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David Cameron Suggests Pupils Should Stand Up When Teachers Enter Classrooms

The Huffington Post UK  |  By Posted: 20/04/2012 14:38 Updated: 20/04/2012 16:08

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Students Stand Up Teachers
Cameron has praised students who stand up when their teacher enters the room

David Cameron has suggested pupils should stand up when their teachers enter the classroom but his idea has been criticised by both teachers and students as unrealistic.

As part of the coalition's drive to increase discipline in schools, the prime minister praised those who adhered to the old-fashioned practice.

"Give headteachers and their staff the freedom to teach and run their schools; give parents greater choice and transparency about schools and their results and you can see fantastic outcomes.

"Children who stand up when their parents or teacher walks in the room. Real discipline, rigorous standards, hard subjects. Sports where children can learn about success and, yes, sometimes failure too," he said on Thursday during the Conservatives' local election campaign in Dumfries.

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The comments tie in with the Department for Educations' manifesto to introduce military academies, which will be staffed by ex-servicemen.

In January, think tank ResPublica publicly backed plans to establish a network of schools run by the military to address poor discipline and educational failure in problem neighbourhoods.

But the announcement Phoenix Free School is to open in Greater Manchester has proved divisive.

BLOG: Student Ayaz Manji on the problem with military academies.

So it comes as no surprise there were a few tweeters who were rather sceptical about Cameron's plans for students to stand to attention when teachers entered the room.

https://twitter.com/#!/francescrook/status/193327346634326018

Ferg Slade said: "It sounds suspiciously like Cameron is confusing schools with the military..." while @NoisyAdam added: "Yeah, so they can get a better aim when throwing tomatoes."


Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said: "Life has changed since the days when pupils in all schools automatically stood up when an adult walked into their classroom.

"This difficult behaviour from pupils often mirrors that of their parents, who frequently have no respect for authority and challenge school rules. We are pleased that David Cameron wants to help schools improve discipline, but he needs to be realistic about today’s world and what will work in our schools.”


A Department for Education spokesperson said:

“Unless there is good behaviour in schools teachers cannot teach and students cannot learn. We want to put teachers back in control of the classroom. That is why we are clarifying the disciplinary processes in schools so that teachers are better able to deal quickly with bad behaviour.”


Check out our Twitter gallery to see what other people thought of the suggestion and why not add your own opinion to our comments box below.

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David Cameron has suggested pupils should stand up when their teachers enter the classroom but his idea has been criticised by both teachers and students as unrealistic. As part of the coalition's ...
David Cameron has suggested pupils should stand up when their teachers enter the classroom but his idea has been criticised by both teachers and students as unrealistic. As part of the coalition's ...
 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
SPQR1775
726 Fans
02:52 PM on 05/20/2012
I agree with the Prime Minister, after all I grew up in the British Education system in the Caribbean pre CXC and even today once a teacher walks into the class room students stand at attention, then the teacher said please be seated. Also the prefects or student body leadership ensure discipline and order is follow. There seems to be many comments here and half of them are Americans who have no clue of anything outside their own nation, so reading these comments show just how seriously American attitude is to anything different from their own, yet they do not realized it is the rest of the world who champion and ensure their affluences and their dependency on debt. Had they the gaul to ensure that Federalism runs everything from education to job and healthcare then they wouldn't be blaming a POTUS who is trying to save them from their own ignorance and lack of rethoric. Yes, I agree with the PM students must be made to STAND UP when a Teacher enters the class room. It is our way, it is the british way and yes they must always continue to wear Uniforms!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Ben Wilson
What's the story mourning Tories?
290 Fans
 
01:37 PM on 05/17/2012
Respect in a school towards teachers shouldn't be earned it should be demanded. It's part and parcel with preparing for the working world, where you must earn respect and deal with the fact that if you dont show the bosses respect earned or not, you will be out on your backside.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Ben Wilson
What's the story mourning Tories?
290 Fans
 
01:33 PM on 05/17/2012
When did this stop? Because I had to do it in my humble state school right up to when I left in 2000...well 1999, they didnt make year 11's do it. I think Cameron is right on this one. Authority, respect and a bit of fear are all important in schools. It's only when you kids are behaving exactly how you expect and thus are showing maturity that you then relax the rules. Our tutotr did it with us. A scary man who got us seriously under control very early on, but in return he let us take our ties off on hot days, not get fussy over toilet trips, and was more forgiving about anyones forgetfulness. If our behaviour as a group declined, we lost all those little perks and we got Scary Mr Knight back!
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tinkertailorslodierspy
1 Fans
04:33 PM on 04/28/2012
my teacher pointed me with a stick once and said..."at the end of this stick is an idiot" i got a detention after saying "which end?"
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Mad Mick
84 Fans
09:46 AM on 04/25/2012
Headmasters rarely get the wrong end of the stick.
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alan lockwood
0 Fans
07:37 AM on 04/25/2012
And don't forget, never question authority because they never ever make mistakes.
Always doff your cap and never look them in the eyes.
If Cameron and his ilk are a sample of such discipline then you can understand why this country is in such a mess. The thing they should be teaching and I include parents, is RESPECT. Not just for teachers but for each and every one of us. What Cameron is advocating is complete and utter obedience.
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SPQR1775
726 Fans
02:54 PM on 05/20/2012
Well, you always look people in the eye where I am from and in my family if you don't you can't be trusted or you are weak. Always look everyone in the eye, you will so easily see the weakness of their conditions!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Blackorpheus
the decisive blows are always struck left-handed
623 Fans
07:06 PM on 04/22/2012
And if students don't stand at attention, cane them. Public school caning is a richer tradition than good manners.
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2Pallas
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12:18 AM on 04/22/2012
In today's schools, various adults come in & out of classrooms all the time. It's potentially very distracting and disruptive if kids stand up every time! They're meant to be getting on with their work; focussing on learning. There are other ways to show respect to adults. Does David Cameron honestly think he knows better than teachers; that teachers could never possibly have thought of this themselves?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
SPQR1775
726 Fans
03:02 PM on 05/20/2012
You stand up for the teacher and if someone of a higher rank than the teacher comes in you stand up also. It is done everywhere as a sign of respect, it is done in the military also!
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Muggins Crabface
0 Fans
03:44 PM on 04/21/2012
in some countries this is standard practice. i have spoken to one adult who had to do this at school and it has had no ill effect on her at all. infact she finds it odd that we do not respect the people who educate our children and that we do not teach our children to respect them either. lets face it, does it really hurt? respect is an important part of life. it can help to define boundries where some are sadly lacking. why not? let us try it and see if we can bring some respect back into society as a whole.
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Mickey Mouse 1
There are no lies or deceit on a chess board.
180 Fans
04:25 PM on 04/20/2012
On standing to attention, should they also salute and present arms?
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TOGT
2 Fans
01:55 PM on 05/30/2012
Maybe. There's apparently a good reason for the miltary-style salute. It displayed the fact that you weren't carrying a concealed weapon. How apt might that be in today's thuggish world?

As for presenting arms, that would work too if only the little barstewards carrying them allowed them to be surrendered!
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Mickey Mouse 1
There are no lies or deceit on a chess board.
180 Fans
04:06 PM on 04/20/2012
Should they also salute the teacher and present their arms?
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gogsrule
57 Fans
11:30 AM on 04/24/2012
He's also going to start the Cameron Youth Movement - there will be a one arm salute and one "Hail David". I for one would give him a two-fingered salute. Why not tug the forelock and sing God Save the Queen while we're at it. The World has changed radically in the past 50 years - he's really out of touch. A simple greeting in response to a teacher's "good morning" or "good afternoon" is sufficient show of resopect.
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TOGT
2 Fans
01:58 PM on 05/30/2012
Quote:"The World has changed radically in the past 50 years"

For better, or for worse?? Your offer of the two-fingered salute might be indicative.
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