Yes, Prime Minister

I've recently become addicted to the "Yes, Prime Minister" series. Here's the episode on education. It's surprisingly relevant today.

Yes, Prime Minister: National Education: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

A few highlights:

Sir Humphrey: "... we keep the NUT [teachers' union] happy and we educate our own children privately!"

Sir Humphrey: "The education system does all that most parents requires of it -- keeps the children out of mischief while they're at work."

Sir Humphrey: "Children? Who mentioned children? The Department of Education never mentions children!"

Prime Minister: "We're supposed to be preparing children for a working life. Three quarters of the time they're bored stiff!"

Sir Humphrey: "I should have thought that being bored stiff for three quarters of the time is an excellent preparation for working life."

(How many teachers have written in to StopHomework making this exact argument?)

For all you overachieving types, here's the Latin that Sir Humphrey quotes in vain:

1.) "tempura mutantur nos et mutamur in illis"

(Sir Humphrey's translation: "times change and we change with the times")

2.) "si tacuisses philosophus mansisses"

(Sir Humphrey's loose translation: "if you'd kept your mouth shut we might have thought you were clever". More strictly, "if you'd remained silent you would have remained a philosopher".)