> The authority of the "authority figures" isn't actually built on any rational principle. If you don’t come to school we’ll put your parents in jail is an emi

> The authority of the "authority figures" isn't actually built on any rational principle. If you don’t come to school we’ll put your parents in jail is an eminently rational principle. To defend school for a moment it’s one of the least awful places many children experience on a regular basis. The adults don’t really care but they don’t hate the children. They’re not going to hit them. It’s a reasonable temperature. They often get food. I was horrified hearing one of my colleagues describe teaching in the UK. It mostly sounded like being an ersatz social worker. But it’s not like education is first or second in school’s priorities. Child minding is higher, why not social work?