The
lowdown: 'Hearts and Minds' is set in a Liverpool comprehensive
school, and stars Christopher Eccleston
as Drew MacKenzie, an idealistic
young student teacher who had given up his job as shop steward at a Ford
factory to pursue his dream
of becoming a teacher. Drew and a woman named Chris begin their teaching
practice
at the same school, and
Drew tells one of his new colleagues that he asked to be assigned to a
disadvantaged
school because of his desire
to make a difference in the lives of the students. However, the reality
of teaching is
much different - the students
are disinterested in learning and often uncontrollable, the school is underfunded
and
many of the teachers are
disillusioned, depressed and looking for other jobs.
Written by Jimmy McGovern,
the four-part series was first broadcast on Channel 4 in February 1995.
It is gritty,
compelling drama at its
best, and Christopher Eccleston in particular is superb as a teacher who
tries to inspire
and motivate his students.
He is at his best in the scene where he teaches a classroom of bored students
about
iambic pentameter. However,
despite his best intentions, Drew quickly learns that idealism has no place
in this
school, and while he initially
resists the advice from another teacher to simply put a tick on all of
the students'
work without reading it,
he soon begins to abandon his principles when the work starts to pile up.
Drew has a wife
and three kids, and a seemingly
happy home life, but the strain of teaching begins to affect his family,
and he
eventually discovers that
his wife is having an affair. The first episode ends with Drew being offered
a job at the
school when his probation
ends; Chris also applied for the job, but was turned down because of her
gender.
The
verdict: Sadly, 'Hearts and Minds' is still not yet available
on DVD, but if you can obtain a copy of it or see
it on television it is well
worth four hours of your time. If nothing else, it will give you a greater
appreciation of the
challenges of being a teacher
in modern England (and most other countries, most likely). It may also
deter many
people from considering
a career as a teacher...
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