GCSE's (General Collapse in Secondary Education)

I had always thought that with the introduction of the new Academy's replacing many of the old Comprehensives, that things would be on the up in schools and it might finally be the turn around that education in this country needed. We have all read the stories about how they are making qualifications easier and how more kids than ever are leaving school with 5 plus GCSE and how the number of A*'s has increased year on year. But if this is true, why is that employees find it so difficult to find a young British person with excellent English, Maths, Communication and Interpersonal Skills? But of course all of this is hear-say and I should not believe all that is printed in papers such as the Daily Mail (Not that I read it you understand, but occasionally it is good to know thy enemy and read what they are saying about my own community. But the truth came when two friends of mine at work did a day's volunteering at the work sponsored Academy, not too far from the office. After a short meeting the week before, they arrived and were assigned some tasks to do with the children and were informed that under no circumstances, no matter what, can you say anything what so ever, that may potentially "Disrespect" the children. If they are unruly and playing up, you can not tell them to be quiet or shut up, no no, you have to put your hand in the air and count down from five to 1. Respect? What about the respect of the teacher or the teaching assistance. This particular class they were assisting with was being run my a substitute teacher who when the break started dissapeared and failed to return, leaving my two friends alone with the class. Have things not over stepped the mark? Don't disrespect the children? So they can run havoc? Maybe that's why they all get good grades but can't read or write? I can remember my own days at school, when GCSEs were first launched. Teachers were on Strike through much of my education, refusing to mark our homework and do any extra curricular activity. We always used to joke that GCSEs stood for General Collapse in Secondary Education, but far from get better over the years, it seems it got worse. All employees are encouraged to do two volunteering days every year and they have a dedicated web page for all the opportunities you can sign up to. With an extra day still to use in the next couple of months, I was browsing keenly trying to find an opportunity to do my bit for the community, but sadly the stories of the Academy have put me off ever wanting to ever go there. I have this fear it will resemble more like Saint Trinian's than the disciplined place I was educated. Was my own education any good? Not really. The classrooms were over crowded, the teachers didn't care and they were struggling to understand the new curriculum that GCSEs introduced. History, far from learning about interesting things such as the Monarchy, The 1st and 2nd World War and the Battle of Hastings we had to learn about the farming revolution and the Population boom of the 18th Century. I don't have fond memories of those days, but thankfully I came out being able to string a sentence together, being able to understand mathematics and with good communication and interpersonal skills. As for holding my hand up and counting from 5 to 1? We would have been told to shut up or get the cane and it didn't do us any harm did it?