What makes a really good teacher? Two case studies from the same high school show how different in style, presentation, personality, preparation and background, good teachers can be.

A primary school invited parents to be more than just teachers' aides; parents with particular skills came and taught. Some were more successful than others, but teachers' fears of losing control and of poor teaching were unfounded.

Methods of assessment are themselves assessed: norm based, mastery based and interview techniques have been researched. Problems with each are faced and alternatives discussed.

Australia had the idea first, New Zealand has seen it take off: child sized equipment and modified rules develop skills and give great fun.

Dutch children do 20% better than their parents on IQ Tests, and Japanese in the USA seem to do better than Americans. But schools don't report a flood of geniuses, exam scores fall. These and other puzzles are addressed.

At what point is a school big enough? Some small schools provide a better range of subjects than big ones, but tiny schools will always be expensive to run.

A Planning Council economist sees market forces, plus education, as the only route to well paid, sustainable, full employment. Professor Snook says the figures don't back up the dogma.

We can count all the shootings and violence on the TV we let our children watch. But what about the good things they see? More counting reveals interesting facts.

In Northern Ireland they used to assume that boys would catch up to girls at school. But the courts said there was discrimination and treating them differently must stop. Where does that leave us?

5- and 6-year-olds can solve problems our syllabuses assume they cannot. This evidence of abstract thought and mathematical problem solving strategies should encourage everyone to aim high.