Is school bad for us?

Brainteaser month

Our third #BrainTeaser month academic video chat is around the topic: Is school bad for us?

In the video below, Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education and Jonathan Rix, Professor of Participation and Learning Support, look at the fact that schools fail 40 percent of the population and they explore if they think this is really the case, and if so, why.

January is Brainteaser Month and the OU is using this opportunity to encourage followers to do some lateral thinking. Over the course of the month, the OU will post some brainteasers on Facebook, and OU academics will explain the theory behind them and encourage audiences to share their own.

About the academics

Teresa Cremin is Professor of Education in the OU’s Faculty of Wellbeing Education and Language Skills. Professor Cremin’s socio-cultural research focuses mainly on teachers' literate identities and practices, the pedagogies associated with children's volitional reading and writing (within and beyond the classroom), and creative teaching and learning from the early years through to Higher Education.

Read more about Professor Cremin’s research

Jonathan Rix is Professor of Participation and Learning in the OU’s Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Skills. His research interests focus upon: policies, practices and language that facilitate inclusion within the mainstream; capturing diverse perspectives; and developing models to facilitate our thinking about the form and function of education. He has a strong and broad interest in issues relating to learning difficulties and issues of equality and participation.

Read more about Professor Rix’s research 

Contact our news team

For all out of hours enquiries, please telephone +44 (0)7901 515891

Contact details

News & articles

The words 'The fundamentals' in black against a bright yellow background

The FUNdamentals: Why fun matters more than we think

In a world that feels increasingly serious and pressured, fun can seem like a guilty pleasure — something optional, even frivolous. But what if fun isn’t an add on at all? What if it’s essential?