"The School" RTÉ ONE [New Series]

winter soldier

frankymail wrote: »

You post really has no substance to it to be honest. The crew weren't looking for "trouble" or scandal. They were looking for stories that could interest the audience such as The Musical, The Leaving Cert, Sports, Debating and of course they had to have some amount of focus on disipline. It is part of the school and every school at at that. Not once would the crew purposley seek out a "mean" teacher and if you thing about it hard, what "mean" teachers have featured in the two episodes so far. It's been quite the opposite in fact.

It is physically impossible to broadcast "something that wasn't there". None of the pieces have been scripted nor acted out and nothing was edited in anyway to make anyone look bad. This is a true image of the school.
In terms of "private and personal matters". I'm sure you are aware of this but everyone was asked before participating or being filmed and them and their parents had to sign release forms. This permission and notification process was also further followed up after production to make sure everything had the green light to broadcast. A review committee made sure there was nothing in the final edit that could damage anyone or cause upset.


All in all I do agree, Yes it is a TV program but it is far from the vintictive farse you're making it out to be. It's an insight into A School which has never been done before, and done pretty well at that. Prehaps you need to re-watch it again and make an informed opinon.

sounds like frankymail worked on the show or works for RTE. i still give more credence to rawrr's post than franky's. lord knows why that school agreed to this exploitative show. far too many "look at me" show off types on the documentary anyway.

melikepirates

Whatever about silly parents who signed up their kids for this, whatever about a school that has left itself exposed with little editing rights for €10,000, my biggest problem with "The School" is that it isn't good T.V. The first episode had no substance or structure, no focus. As a result it didn't tell any story, you can't even claims it provides with a snapshot of a modern school because we were told very little about the school. The second episode was closer to the mark - a clear 50 mins dealing with the success of the school musical (which looked spectacular) and a hint of the strains of the Leaving Cert. Even then though, cuts to a staffroom being told how to act during say Parent teacher meetings or management meetings that revolve solely around ties (like that's what a typical management meeting looks like??) I like that it includes the student's reactions and I like the idea of the show, it's just poorly executed (like why not open with new first years and their stresses etc, then have a TY episode and finally a focus on the Leaving Cert...)

frankymail

The show is progressing in conological order. The very first scene of the first episode, term one, is that of first years discussing their stresses. There is a heavey focus on the LC that continues throught the two programmes so far and undoubtedly through to the third. The second episode was cleary not a 50min concentration on the musical.

Have you watched it?

Elmo

This wouldn't be a show I would sit down and watch. I saw Music changes lives during the week I thought it was brilliant to see these young children playing music. Their performance was very good for their age.

melikepirates

frankymail wrote: »

The show is progressing in conological order. The very first scene of the first episode, term one, is that of first years discussing their stresses. There is a heavey focus on the LC that continues throught the two programmes so far and undoubtedly through to the third. The second episode was cleary not a 50min concentration on the musical.

Have you watched it?

I have watched it thank you frankymail. The first episode began with the first years...for a scene and then focused on the transgressions of two senior students, an open night - kinda,the beginnings of the school musical - not set in any context, cut to students asking students what it's like to be black in St. Peter's and the odd principal/teacher awkward disciplining of students.

The chrononolgy is true, the last episode is focusing on april to summer. But if you chop and cut with no context, no continuity, then chronology is irrelevant. There is no purpose to this show. Full access to a modern public secondary school is a gift, a gift that the production company have wasted creating a miniseries devoid of life, purpose and soul.

You also said that the second episode wasn't 50mins about the musical. I just got a colleague from St. Peter's to email me a copy of the second episode...As I said originally, it focuses mainly on the musical, which after watching again, is true! The sick lead, the understudy, the rehearsals, the moaning female lead, the eventual success. Have you watched it sir?

frankymail

melikepirates wrote: »

I have watched it thank you frankymail. The first episode began with the first years...for a scene and then focused on the transgressions of two senior students, an open night - kinda,the beginnings of the school musical - not set in any context, cut to students asking students what it's like to be black in St. Peter's and the odd principal/teacher awkward disciplining of students.

The chrononolgy is true, the last episode is focusing on april to summer. But if you chop and cut with no context, no continuity, then chronology is irrelevant. There is no purpose to this show. Full access to a modern public secondary school is a gift, a gift that the production company have wasted creating a miniseries devoid of life, purpose and soul.

You also said that the second episode wasn't 50mins about the musical. I just got a colleague from St. Peter's to email me a copy of the second episode...As I said originally, it focuses mainly on the musical, which after watching again, is true! The sick lead, the understudy, the rehearsals, the moaning female lead, the eventual success. Have you watched it sir?

I've done alot more than just watch it and proving that you've watched it by recalling scenes and events doesn't prove the point your making.

Of course there is context to the scenes. Disipline and diversity is a part of school life and this is exactly what is being shown. This gift you talk of has not being wasted at all in my opinon and with the reviews and high audiences "The School" is attracting alot of people are in agreement with me.

The mocks were a big topic through the second episode and really did illustrate the stresses of Claire and Niamh but also showed what it is like from a teachers point of view thanks to Ms Toole. This gave the audience a clear picture of the strong student teacher relationship and thus how the school operates. You can't say that lacks purpose and soul.

I would like to know though what else you think could have been executed to make the most of this "gift"

In terms of the musical I really dont get your point. You stated in your first post "a clear 50 mins dealing with the success of the school musical " and now your saying you didnt say that.

f

Babes.x

Listen, I'm in that school now.. And even I'm cringing watching it. It doesnt really show what the school is really like. Not all the teachers are nice, and not all the students are like that. There was scandle that happened, but the school was nice enough not to put it in. If you go do SPC you'd know what its like. A fifty minute show is not going to tell you about what life is like in that school. To be honest, I think it is an amazing school, the teachers help you out when they can. But it isn't being depicted right.

We had a camera crew in our school for a year. The novelty wares off and you just forget about it.

If you dont like the show, good. Stop taking apart every scene and giving out about it. No one forced you to watch it.

Its a show thats it. Get over it.

Black Magic

Babes.x wrote: »

If you dont like the show, good. Stop taking apart every scene and giving out about it. No one forced you to watch it.

Its a show thats it. Get over it.

How about you get over yourself.

bonerm

Watched about 5mins so far.

1. The girls uniforms are too baggy and skirts are too long. No use to me at all!

2. Had to laugh at the meeting about what to do about those awful-awful smokers behind the bike-shed.

Mr Velo

Jeez but Adam is a knob-head isn't he?

JonathanAnon

I think the worst thing you could possibly do for the fat lad Adam is to put a camera on him. He's a big baby, and giving him all the attention just encourages him to misbehave. I'd say he'll be there next year if they still have the cameras there.

doc_17

That adam lad is a tube. I would have forbidden him to be filmed cos he's lapping up all the attention. What a d**h**d

Utopia Parkway

Aye at first I thought the teachers were just giving him a hard time but obviously he just needs a root up the hole.

youngblood

He'll learn in time not to behave that way
but unfortunately he will have thrown away so many
opportunities when he realises this, that his life will be doomed to failure
and instead of breakin the cycle he'll just continue to be like this for the
rest of his life because he knows no other way to function, he's comfortable bein the center of attention and when his life is falling apart all around him it'll be the only thing he can hold onto to keep himself sane.
Very sad

bonerm

School trips to China? FFS wouldn't have got that in my day!

Mr Velo

Crikey, a school tour to China.... We didn't get out of the country back in the day.

Mr Velo

and don't get me started on the geezer with the oversized specs.... weedy swotty type!

newbie85

was that adam kid on RTE before? i could SWEAR i've seen him doing a drama monologue in a 1920s hat? anyone remember that? or have i gone crazy?

bonerm

What is the 35 y/o elvis impersonator doing in the school?

Mr Velo

Elvis screwed that up royally!

bonerm

Check out Mr.Chips there. His last class of future world-leaders sent out into the big bad world.

youngblood

Ah thats very sad-teachers are human beings after all

Syferus

To address some of the criticism from students previously, there is a case to be made in saying that they may be too close to judge this document on it's merits - be it those just enamored with getting a window in a year in the life of their school, or something who had or heard about bad experiences with producers.

Without inflating my ego too much I'd say someone like me, who didn't go to the school but went to one very similar one not so long ago, would have the best insight into if the series of documentaries was true to the emotions of the environment, which given that this could never be or even purport to be a complete document of the year, is the most important issue when judging it.

On that, I'd again reiterate my opinion that it is indeed true to the mixture of hope, fear, youthful exuberance and youthful cynicism that defines any school worth a cent. Something I thought of when watching this night's final part was that the issue of students playing up for the camera is somewhat negated by the fact those who want to show off tend to do to so in the classroom environment, with a captive and baying audience, so is what we see on film really much beyond how they act in reality? I don't think so.

For me, the school is full of - superficially, at least - archetypes I remember from my own days, be it Adam, the obviously talented but obstinate student to James, the rather well-to-do student who has bought into the school machine a little too heavily to an Leaving Cert Applied class that is looked down on by the entire school and who in turn have pretty much shut down their minds to school.

The last part of the documentary - the last day of school for the Leaving Certs - was particularly effectively in capturing the strange hollowness of that last day, an understanding that this is the end of the line for the person you are, and by you understanding that it's too late to go back.

For the last time, a very good documentary that was more than a little evocative of the real thing.

JonathanAnon

I see Adam is on a PLC. That was pretty much a certainty from looking at him on the show. I wonder if his parents think it was such a good idea having the cameras in the classroom now. Lad was acting the eegit, just for the attention.. not even funny.

Can you imagine any prospective employers / colleges that get a look at that documentary?

Mr E

Post from Black Magic deleted.
Calling someone names or making fun of their appearance is not big and its not clever.

LashingLady

Johnathon, I can tell you that Adam was not playing up to the cameras in the show.

He's actually like that all the time and he's even worse at home!!

emeraldstar

LashingLady wrote: »

Johnathon, I can tell you that Adam was not playing up to the cameras in the show.

He's actually like that all the time and he's even worse at home!!

Which is nothing to be proud of!

LashingLady

No not necessarily something to be proud of!

I was just making the point that acting the maggot is something that he has always done not just for the cameras.

Look, he can be a pain in the ass, but in the end of the day he was only 16 for most of that documentary. I know plenty of people who arsed around at school and then got it together a few years later. Unlike Youngblood I'll still hold out a little bit of hope for Adam too......

Stench Blossoms

I enjoyed it. Would of liked if it lasted a few more episodes though.

Conor108

What was the song Adam sang at the end?

Nevermind got it. Lost- Michael Bublé