Looking For Volunteers To Help Prove Something!!!

damien_gill

Hi all,

I am looking for people to help me with a new project that I will be working on soon.

I want to do an undercover documenteray kinda thing about secondary schoold and how bad they are.

I want to focus on the following main points;

1.How badly students are treated.
2.The un-neccessary victimization of some students.
3.The qaulity of teaching.
4.The lack of control that some teachers have in a class.

Any more focus point suggestions would be gratefully recieved.

If you are interested please reply to this post or e-mail me @ damienpgill@eircom.net

swiss

This is related to politics.... how?

What kind of undercover documentary are you talking about? Are you looking for anecdotal evidence of abuse of students, or do you plan to obtain something more concrete.

I have heard anecdotal evidence about lazy/underqualified teachers who have taught in this manner for years without reprimand or training, but no evidence that this is widespread. Of course more concrete evidence would take the form of the hotly contested teacher rankings that is being proposed, but teachers unions are strongly resisting the implementation of any such performance based monitor. I think that this sort of monitor should be implemented as a matter of course, but until some means is found of sorting the wheat from the chaff (sic) we shall have to endure poor educators.

If you think that children are being abused by a teacher, then I suggest that you contact the gardaí. An undercover operation to expose this could be dangerous and/or could backfire.

damien_gill

I'll give you an example of the kind of victimisation I mean. A friend of mine was suspended six times in 3 months. I admit one time he deserved it.

However, one teacher in particular decided he did not like him and before you knew all the teachers picked up on everything he did.

1:He was suspended for kicking a cardboard box the PE hall.

2:And then suspended for not doing his homework.

3:Then suspended for writing graffiti on his OWN journal.

Now does that sound fair to you. I may also add that is the case of the three examples above except for the journal he did not act alone. Oue education system is an absolute shambles / disgrace that teachers can get away with hatever they want.

Whats more if one teacher has an accusation brought against them the other teachers will crownd around them and lie in order to protect them.

These are not accusation or theories these are things I have witnessed during my school years many times over.

swiss

Based on the facts as you presented them that doesn't sound fair. That chaps education is being compromised seemingly because of a vendetta that a teacher or teachers have against him. I know that you want to highlight this, and an undercover documentary seems the best way to achieve this aim, but I really think that you should explore other ways of resolving this first.

Firstly I would recommend speaking to the principal of the school in question. Most principals seem to be consistently on the side of the teachers, but this is usually to maintain discipline. If you feel you have a legitimate complaint then bring it to his/her attention. Be sure that you put forward your arguments rationally, otherwise s/he might think you are ranting about one of the members of staff.

If this is not an option then I believe you have recourse to an education board where matters that have a material effect on the education of a student can be appealled. My memory of this is a little hazy though, so I don't know how exactly you might go down this road. Hopefully another poster can enlighten us?

DadaKopf

It might be better to do an undercover documentary of a handfull of different schoolkids (and teachers) from different backgrounds/locations, so you're not thought to be saying this is exactly widespread but it's there nonetheless.

The approach I'd suggest would be to cover both sides of the problem. Describe the schoolkids' worlds (their personalities, their background, lifestyle) and counter that by conveying the teachers' side of the story. There's two sides to every story and even then, they're never black and whire... y'know?

Why don't you contact some people in DIT or DCU who are doing Media or Journalism and that stuff?

damien_gill

JUST TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO ANYONE WHO READS OR POSTS ON THIS BOARD I'M NOT PLANNING ON BEING BIASED IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM

I WILL BE SHOWING BOTH SIDES STORIES AND POSSIBLE REASONS WITHOUT ANY BIAS

bonkey

Originally posted by damien_gill
JUST TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO ANYONE WHO READS OR POSTS ON THIS BOARD I'M NOT PLANNING ON BEING BIASED IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM

I WILL BE SHOWING BOTH SIDES STORIES AND POSSIBLE REASONS WITHOUT ANY BIAS

Not trying to deflate your balloon, but in the example you've already given, you have provided one side of the story, as well as stated that teachers are, in your opinion, corrupt (crowding around and lieing to protect each other).

In fact, the stated aim of your "investigation" is not to see if there is corruption, but to prove that there is...which implies a pre-formed conclusion you are attempting to justify. This is immediately biased.

I'm not saying you're wrong to do this, but you're sending out mixed signals.

jc

Gordon

Originally posted by damien_gill

I want to focus on the following main points;

1.How badly students are treated.

You set out by claiming to be biased.

That statement or hypothesis means "Students are treated badly, I will show how badly they are treated."

damien_gill

Apologies that was actually meant to say "how badly some students are treated" my mistake.

And secondly I am setting out to prove more so than anything that corruption exists to a large extent I will be showing the good as well but call this a good hunch. I have a feeling there won't be much.

However, if I do find alot of good I will have no qaulms about showing as much good as bad if not more.

To be honest I hope I'm proved wrong that way I'll have some faith in the way that this country will be when the current secondary school generation run this country in 20 years time or so

Dustaz

Just a tiny point or two here.


Do you have any experience whatsoever in film or TV?

Do you have any funding whatsoever?

Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a project like this off the ground/on tv?

Do you have the large amount of time needed to devote to this while you attempt to revitalise the Irish politcal scene with your hip new party?

Mercury_Tilt

This post has been deleted.

damien_gill

Actually, it is a project that me and my friend came up with. He is doing a telvision production course and we were discussing this and I thought the project had good merit so I am helping him.

He will be doing all editing and stuff like that (I aint got a clue) I am doing research and identifyinh possoble subjects (people) that we could use to film.

So in answer to your question YES I DO HAVE THE TIME AND HE HAS THE FUNDING

Raskolnikov

Originally posted by Mercury_Tilt
Just film some girls in the toilets... We will all give you grief and let you know how bad a person you are. But take heart in knowing we all have watched it and copied it.

For no reason other than to enforce our disgust at you.

Agreed! Why waste RTE's lax resources on serious issues when we could be sticking camera's into girls changing rooms:p

The Saint

Amen to that.