One in eleven Britons (9%) say they received detentions at school at least fairly regularly, with a further 36% receiving them infrequently. Just 51% say they never received such discipline.
Men are more likely to have been on the receiving end of detentions, with 11% having regularly been kept behind, relative to 6% of women.
Reform UK voters are also more likely have been troublemakers at school, with 13% subjected to detentions on at least fairly regular basis, compared to 8-9% of voters for other parties.
But what do Britons make of their schooldays? To find out, we used our new YouGov AI Interviewer tool to ask respondents: “What was school like for you?”
The AI agent then conducted interviews with each respondent, following up on their responses, in order to provide ‘the why’ behind what Britons think. Our qualitative analysis of attitudes, including quotes, can be found below, along with examples of respondent interviews in their entirety.
Enjoying learning, often thanks to good teachers
Many respondents say they enjoyed school because they liked learning, did well in lessons or had teachers who were enthusiastic, encouraging and willing to take time over their pupils.
- “They would suggest further reading. They would praise me and try to bring the best out of me” – Man, 18-24
- “It was great. I was very good at maths and science and I enjoyed learning things from engaged teachers.” – Man, 55+
- “Teachers who took time to listen to students helped greatly with the learning experience, no question was too silly to ask. If you needed extra help or encouragement it was always given.” – Woman, 55+
- “They brought the subjects to life by being passionate about their topics” – Woman, 45-54
Friends, sport and activities
Some say their friends were what made school enjoyable, or simply bearable, along with the sport, music, drama and trips they took part in. Some of these friendships have lasted decades.
- “Because they made time go by faster as we would have lots of fun together” – Man, 18-24
- “I generally loved school. Not for the work but because I had a huge friendship group” – Woman, 55+
- “Loved school great days meeting life long friends and having great time doing drama and sport” – Man, 55+
- “Having friends in the school was a lifeline when the bullying got really tough. It was always better if I had at least one friend in a class - it meant I didn't feel alone and exposed.” – Man, 55+
Boring lessons and teachers who did not seem to care
Some describe lessons as dull, slow or irrelevant to later life, and teachers who appeared uninterested, read from the textbook or focused only on the brightest pupils.
- “school was not easy, i felt that at times teachers did not have the interests of students at heart” – Woman, 18-24
- “Probably been teaching too long and just slipped into not really caring anymore, just do the minimum,go home and get paid” – Man, 45-54
- “they dont teach you anything useful in life. when will i ever use algebra?” – Woman, 25-34
- “I felt alienated by it. Teaching should inspire children, and not just be a dull recitation of facts.” – Man, 55+
Bullying
Some describe being bullied by other pupils, and occasionally by teachers, and say the school did little or nothing to stop it. For some, the effects have lasted into adulthood.
- “I told a teacher and was told that I should stop complaining” – Woman, 18-24
- “Awful! I'd stopped going by final year. But 50 years on can still remember the names of the bullies” – Woman, 55+
- “Bullying was accepted as part of the learning experience of school life. If you didn't stop bullies from bullying you then it was your fault for being weak or spineless” – Woman, 55+
- “lessons were easy, break times were spent avoiding bullies. Home time was like running the gauntlet, trying to aavoid verbal and physical abuse.” – Man, 45-54
Not fitting in, and learning difficulties that went unnoticed
Some felt lonely, shy or out of place at school, while others say they struggled with conditions such as dyslexia or ADHD that were not recognised at the time.
- “I had mixed experiences, I was well-behaved and did well in my lessons, but friendships were more difficult” – Woman, 18-24
- “The classes were too big and as a quiet shy person you felt a bit lost. I take a long time to make friends so felt a bit lost as my friends from primary school all made new friends.” – Man, 55+
- “It was difficult. I have ADHD but this was only diagnosed last year, so I went through school struggling but not knowing why.” – Woman, 55+
- “I found it difficult because I have dyslexia but was not diagnosed at school” – Woman, 45-54
Strict discipline and corporal punishment
Some recall strict rules, uniform checks and physical punishment such as the cane. Views differ: some feel the discipline did them good, while others remember an atmosphere of fear.
- “Teachers handed out detentions quite easily. Lots of homework was handed. Lots of rules in break time” – Man, 18-24
- “Horrendous a 1960s Catholic School run by the Christian Brothers who delighted in dishing out brutal punishment” – Man, 55+
- “School was good. I didn't work as hard as I could but did ok. Some of the teachers were very strict and I feel that this discipline was beneficial” – Woman, 55+
- “It didn't make for a happy atmosphere in school. There was always an undercurrent of fear that one might be punished for no apparent reason. Some of the pupils rebelled against this but were punished.” – Woman, 55+
Home life and money
Some say their experience of school was shaped by what was happening at home. For some, school was a refuge from a difficult home life; for others, poverty made them a target or left them feeling looked down on.
- “I think the backdrop of my difficult family circumstances made me want to try hard and do well.” – Woman, 18-24
- “I t gave me routine and structure I did not have at home” – Woman, 25-34
- “Hard. Only one parent working so was bullied for having second hand clothes, couldn’t afford to eat at school or go on trips” – Woman, 45-54
- “The Teachers did not like me as we were poor” – Man, 55+
Other themes
Other points raised include a difficult move from primary to secondary school, classes disrupted by badly behaved pupils, exam pressure, and experiences of racism, sexism and other discrimination. Some also compare their own schooldays with schools today, both favourably and unfavourably.
- “Primary school was fantastic I was like a sponge for learning, High school was tedious” – Man, 45-54
- “A class would come to a standstill for 5-10 minutes while the disruption was dealt with.” – Man, 35-44
- “Only that I am very glad I was at school in the 70s and 80s, before the Internet and social media. Kids these days can't escape their tormentors. We could go home and get away from it.” – Woman, 55+
- “Good, i was a bit of a smartass but alright. School without all the academic stress was b3tter than holidwys” – Man, 18-24
