[Paul]

Originally Posted by Captain Last thing first, totally agree that shit schools don't have great leaders. I disagree on it coming from the top, at least necessarily. I went to a school were my head teacher(?), I mean the teacher in charge of my class, was in constant conflict with the leadership of the school. He was because he was young and brought new ideas. 95% of my class loved him because he was our pal, just as much as he was our boss. And I mean BOSS, he didn't take any shit from anyone, not that I can recall any of that lads (let's face it, it's the lads who) give it a try. I have always had an issue with injustice, and I totally blew a gasket when he once pulled me up on something I didn't do. I was 14 and swung a heavy punch at his head, luckily he swerved. He didn't put me into any shit for it, never even told my parents. He did pull me aside the next day and we talked it over. I agreed I was in the wrong to swing at him, he admitted that he might have been wrong about the issue at hand. He has had my utmost respect from that day. My class ate substitute teachers for breakfast, and more than once our head teacher(?) had to sort us out. I'll never forget that time we sent a woman crying from our classroom. I was one of the main culprits, terrorizing her with the reflection of a ruler. The moment she left the classroom everyone, myself included, regretted our actions because we knew we'd behaved like shitheads. 75 seconds after she left, our head teacher(?) was in the classroom. I swear, not a single bastard looked at him, we just stared at our desks. He asked if anyone had any pressing to say. Needless to say, utter silence ensued. He the told us he expected us to be quiet for the rest of the class. We were so totally ashamed of ourselves and the way he had put us in our place, the female substitute teacher struggled to get any answers even at direct questions. That teacher ruled our class. Norwegian schools need more of his kind. He made it clear from day one that he was the boss, and fuck me did he live up to it.

You misunderstood me. Incredible individuals can be incredible anywhere. However, for a school to be great, and for struggling teachers to succeed, it has to come from the top.