Teaching modern children who expect instant results is 'immensely hard'

Written by James Gadsby-Peet 8th March 2010

Modern adolescent demands for instant gratification make teachers work "immensely harder", according to a leading sector expert.

Speaking to the Independent, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders Dr John Dunford suggested that teachers are finding it difficult to compete with today's fast-paced technological expectations.

He told the newspaper: "Against this background, the job of the teacher is immensely harder than it was even ten years ago.

"To engage the impatient young people of Generation Y, something more is needed."

His comments follow claims made by the general secretary at education professionals union Voice Philip Parkin, who last week suggested that rushing to turn schools into academies could be bad for children's education.

He added that the quality of a school's leadership is the key to its success, explaining that all schools should benefit from the sort of investment that is being made in academy projects by local authorities and government.