Work ethic chic

Bel has a good post about the government's fairly toe-curling suggestion that it is the role of teachers to instil into pupils the notion that hard work is 'trendy':

"Children should be encouraged to reach out for the tray of goodies that life can offer. However, with all this 'trendiness' talk, what the Department of Education is doing is kneeling at the feet of children and offering them the world on their (the children’s) own terms. Instead of encouraging them to aim high, and reach for a world outside their own, the Department is reshaping the valuable things in life so that they accord with the fleeting values of children?"

Amen. Plus, what makes them think pupils are going to listen to what teachers think is or isn't trendy? What's trendy at any given time is precisely what pisses off parents, teachers, police officers and politicians. It's like these permission slips GCC uses if a pupil needs out of school during the day that say on them, "It's cool to go to school". "Hey dude - come to school, it's cool". What an embarrassing waste of time. Better to devote the energy into pointing out that while it may not be cool, it certainly is compulsory.