School offers call centre classes
23rd July, 2007How disappointing to read NUT secretary Howard Brown’s reaction to a school’s initiative to offer GCSE students innovative call centre classes.
I read this in today’s Guardian with some enthusiasm: Hylton Red House school has opened an on-site call centre — giving pupils the opportunity to learn customer services skills, sales techniques and the like.
The school has also signed up to the academy programme and so (whatever your thoughts on that) this seems like the sort of forward-thinking school whose modernising efforts should be praised not scorned.
However, Howard Brown secretary of the National Union of Teachers in Sunderland thinks differently, that it will lower children’s expectations. He says: “It seems that this is going back to the old days when we told children round here that they had to go straight down the mines when they left. Now the mines have gone and we are saying they have to go and work in a call centre. We have an obligation to give them a bit more than that.”
I do see what he means… but there’s no need to diss call centres is there?
For me, working in a call centre for 6 months was a rare moment of serendipity in the early part of my career. I learnt valuable skills unique to that environment — not to mention the empathy to deal with call centre staff when I’m on the other side of the phone (and who in the UK will never need to phone a call centre?).
With the IT and interpersonal skills they are sure to pick up, I doubt the experience will be wasted on any pupil, regardless of academic ability.
The most encouraging news is that this was the students’ brainchild. Assistant headteacher Helen Elderkin said: “the children approached us because they wanted something different and together we came up with a call centre” (my bold formatting).
Teachers listening to the needs of the students? And acting on them? That’s a rare thing and to be admired.
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Bob Harrison
Ben Williamson
Dan Sutch
Richard Sandford
Leon Cych
Martin Owen
Tim Reader
July 26th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
I totally agree that a Call Centre is a great idea. I don’t mind using a telephone but it is not my favourite means of communication introduction to use of computer and telephony are keyskills in business and these days in lifelong learning and e-learning.
The skill of being able to work in a Call Centre has been a good earner, compared to bar work, for a number of my students through University.