FOR close on 20 years I've been banging on about declining standards of education, often in this column. I became increasingly critical of teaching methods - the notion that teachers were some sort of social workers; that competition among kids was a bad thing while "collaborative learning" was all; that meandering ideas were more important that learning how to spell and do sums.

Never mind the practice. Here's the theory!

Well, finally, the bandwagon against the trendies is beginning to roll. Even David Blunkett - who will make an excellent Secretary of State for Education - is finally raising an eyebrow at teacher-training methods. He admitted the other day at being amazed to discover just how little time was spent on learning how to transmit basic reading, writing and numbering skills. He hasn't yet admitted to being appalled at the politically-correct trendies who began to sink their claws into the educational establishment in the late 60s. But he might soon do so.

Forget all the surveys extolling improving standards; no one else believes them either. When I was a kid anyone who came out of university with a degree was really something; these days it doesn't mean a lot, I'm afraid. A First is still a First; but anything else really is pretty run-of-the-mill.

New teachers have been joining the system brain-washed against remonstrating with pupils in their charge. Don't correct their spelling; don't correct their grammar; ease up on criticising the spoken work and so on. Imagination is all; sit around in discussion groups; have a learning experience. Right on, man. Oh, and no competition at all. Some of the poor dears might get upset.

It's all a far cry from when I attended the local grammar school. The teachers there ruled with a rod of iron - it was probably cane, but it felt like iron - and they were as mad a bunch of psychopaths as ever hurled a blackboard duster.

The French mistress, in particular, was the epitomM-N of evil. But I can still conjugate irregular verbs nearly 40 years later. The English mistress could cut you dead with half-a-dozen words but she forced me through a GCE 'O' level pass and I'd back my spelling, grammar and knowledge of the classics against anyone trundling out of university with an English degree. The woodwork master used to fasten your hand in the vice for a laugh, but I've just built and fitted some bedroom furniture and it looks good if I say so myself. The geography master was even more of a psycho than the French mistress, but I reckon we all got 100 per cent in the GCE exam.

Scared stiff? You bet we were. But they hammered the info into us and a lot of it stuck.

It's been a downward spiral for ages. Many of the good and experienced teachers have thrown in the towel in the face of the trendy onslaught and taken early retirement and it's going to take a lot of hard work to drag back standards. Here's hoping it's not too late. Is it just me or does anyone else think Michael Howard is not firing on all cylinders? Since his reign began as the current Home Secretary the laws of this country have been held up to ridicule time and time again. On more occasions than I care to remember the courts have ruled that he's acted beyond his powers e.g. immigration. If he carries on at this rate the little faith the populace has in the law will disappear altogether.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.