Robb Johnson – The People’s Republic of Neverland: The Child Versus The State

The argument of this book is that in the post-war period state schools were beginning to fall under the control of the educationalists who worked there, and ideas of equality and libertarian, child-centred education were beginning to impact upon the schooling experienced by the underprivileged. This Prague Spring of education, state education with a human face, has since been subjected to a ruthless attack by the right, and the future of education now looks pretty much like Orwell’s vision of the future in 1984… a boot stamping on a human face – forever.”

Teacher by day, and acclaimed songwriter by night, Robb Johnson has worked within the system for thirty years and seen the possibilities of education undermined by the requirements of schooling. We took the train down to sunny Hove to discuss the wintery gloom of post-Thatcher education with him.