School Day (BBC1): IT'S a good few years since many of us were at school, so this day in the life of the nation's education system was an eye-opening experience. I bet a few parents were surprised by what goes on too.

There was some "Stop chewing and put it in the bin" and "Face the front, sit up straight" sort of thing. Less expected was the maths teacher - who failed O-level maths first time - using Play Your Cards Right as the basis for his lesson. And the trainee Spanish teacher who felt she had to become an "all-singing, all-dancing entertainer" rather than rely on text books.

The premise of the documentary was simple enough, and perfectly executed. On Thursday, January 15 this year, ten film crews followed various aspects of our education system. Six were in schools. Another was with the Minister for Schools. A school bus driver, a parent and a gifted student were others featured.

That particular date was chosen as it was the day the Government published the school tables for English secondary schools. This provoked much comment in the staff room at lunch break.

Plenty of statistics were supplied. One-third of all children are taken to school by car. Ten million schoolchildren are looked after by 600,000 other adults, teachers and support staff. One in four teachers quits within five years of qualifying. And on that day 70,000 children bunked off school.

Mo Laycock, head teacher of a comprehensive in Sheffield, was a real star as she patrolled the corridors, tackled a £100,000 budget deficit and shouted back at the TV as panellists discussed education on BBC1's Question Time.

Minister for Schools David Miliband, a former comprehensive boy, was appearing. There was a lovely moment earlier when he unlocked his case to reveal a freshly-laundered shirt and tie on top of the official papers. He also declared himself "mildly petrified" at the prospect of his debut on the TV programme.

A school in the Scottish Highlands with just one classroom, seven pupils and one teacher provided a neat contrast to the bustling inner city comprehensives on view.

Cameras visited an agency where staff were busy on the telephone trying to round up absentees from school. In Middlesbrough, schools work with local authorities and police to get the missing youngsters back in the classroom.

We saw parents with school age children at a shopping centre in the town centre quizzed as to why they weren't in school. Of the 21 stopped, all were with their parents and over half came from outside Middlesbrough. The vast majority were unauthorised absentees. I trust that the parents were given detention.

Published: 13/05/2004