Mrs. Kay’s relationship with her pupils is close. She cares a great deal for them and has fun with them. In scene 2 Mrs. Kay says 2 that’s the only rule we have today: think of yourselves, but think of others as well,” this is showing us that Mrs. Kay wants the children to have a good time. Mrs Kay knows the background of the children in. her progress class, she understands that they are poor and half of them have probably never been of trip before. When Mrs. Kay says in scene 2 “it’s a shame really isn’t it, eh? We bring them to a crumbling pile of bricks and mortar and they think they’re in the fields of heaven,” this shows how sympathetic she is toward them. Mrs. Kay’s stage directions show how caring and nice she is. In scene 2 when 2 Mrs. Kay smiles at her and links her arm,” this shows us that she has a close relationship with students. Mrs. Kay can have a joke and has a laugh with them. When “Mrs. Kay is paddling, dress held above her knees,” she is having fun with the children.
However Mr. Briggs doesn’t understand the difficulties the children have and how difficult there lives are. He treats the children very badly. He in forces rules and puts down the children. When Mr.Briggs says “but a lot of you haven’t been on a school trip before so you won’t know how to behave. So ill have to tell you,” this is showing that he wants to in force rules on the children. This quote also shows that he is reminding the children that they have very difficult lives and for a particular reason could never be allowed on a trip before. Mr. Briggs has no feelings for the students and does not wish to have a good bond with them. His stage directions when “… walk away. The two girls link his arms one on with a side. He stops…taking their arms away..,” is showing us that he doesn’t want to bond with the girls. However Mrs.Kay would have gladly linked arms with the girls because she has a good bond with the children in the progress class. The children cannot relax and have fun with Mr.Briggs around we know this because “at the back the kids are all stifled and bored by Brigg’s presence.”
Mrs. Kay believes that children should be allowed freedom, but also has the right to learn. Mrs. Kay has fun with the kids and she can trust them. When Mrs. Kay says “you won’t educate them because no one wants them educating,” this shows that she thinks they have the right to be educated, Mrs. Kay says “ooh… leave them…. They’ll want to stretch their legs and let off a bit of steam,” this shows that she lets them do as they wish and wants them to have a bit of fun.
Mr. Briggs does not think the children should be trusted. In scene 3 when the bus stops at the shop Mr.Briggs has doubts about trusting the kids. We know this because he questions Mrs. Kay, he says “do you think it is wise just letting them all pour in there at once?” he also says “well I don’t know if these people can be trusted on their own, Mrs.Kay?” this is definitely showing his doubt to letting the children to stretch there legs and let of some steam,” Willy Russell has made the character of Mrs.Kay to trust the children, and let them have fun, Mr.Briggs proved that both at the Zoo and at the shop, when the children stole food from the shop and stole animals from the zoo. Mr. Briggs says “you act like animals, animals! ... I’ve learned that trust is something you people don’t understand!” this is showing us that Mr. Briggs tried to trust the kids but they proved that they couldn’t be trusted. Mr. Briggs believes in organisation and sticking to rules and plans we know this because when he says “… if they going to have a good and stimulating day then its got to be planed and executed better than this “my opinion is that the children should be allowed to have fun because so many of them come from poor families and have tuff lives and they might not ever+ get to go on a trip again!
Mrs. Kay’s opinion about the point of the school trip for the children in the progress class is that the point of the trip is to show the children that they can have a good time and that they can make more out of life then working in a factory.
However Mr. Briggs thinks the point of the trip if for educational purpose. Both Mrs. Kay and Mr. Briggs do not see eye to eye on this. When Mrs. Kay decides to stop of at the seaside or Zoo Mr. Briggs says “but I thought this trip was organised so that the kids could see Conwy castle,” this is showing Mrs. Kay is making the day more fun for the kids and is showing the kids that they are they to have a good time not JUST to be educated.
Toward the end of the play Mr. Briggs sees how difficult it is for the children. He realises this when carol decides she doesn’t want to return to Liverpool. After Mr. Briggs persuades carol to return with the class he, starts to realise that life isn’t so great for the kids. This his Mr. Briggs’s major turning point. He starts to enjoy the day and he even says “what the point in going to the seaside without visiting the fair.” He lets the children visit the fair ground. There was also a picture to prove he was having fun. But as the day comes to an end Mr. Briggs changes back to good old Moody stubborn, heartless Briggs.
At the beginning of the play Mr. Briggs thought Mrs.Kay didn’t teach very well, he discussed this with the head teacher. In scene one the head teacher says about Mrs. Kay “I get the impression she sees education as one long game” this shows us that most of the teachers think Mrs.Kay thinks teaching is a game. The impression I was given when I read this play was that Mr.Briggs never liked Mrs.Kay because her bond with her students was different to the bond Mr.Briggs had with the students. Mr.Briggs believes that all teachers should educate students and not try and be their friends. Mr.Briggs says to Mrs.Kay in scene 5, “I think you have to risk being disliked if you’re going to do any good for these types of kids” this proves that Mr.Briggs thinks friendship isn’t the right route to take with children like them. In my opinion I think that Mr.Briggs is kind of right because some people take advantage, however I also think Mrs.Kay is right because I think teachers should have a bond with their pupils and maybe they will listen and co-operate.
In conclusion to this I have shown that Mr. Briggs and Mrs. Kay have totally different philosophies about teaching. Mrs. Kay has trust and belief in her pupils, whereas Mr. Briggs doesn’t have trust in his students and doesn’t believe in them at all. This shows that everybody has different philosophies to each other. My philosophy to teaching is that teachers should only be hard on pupils who do not cooperate with them, however teachers should co-operate with there pupils as it is only fair that they treat us how we treat them. Mrs. Kay’s philosophies are similar to my philosophy as she treats her students with respect and the children like her because of this. Mr. Briggs’s philosophy has lead to students hating him because the way he acts towards them. The character I like best has to be Mrs.Kay as she is kind and understanding and I think schools need more teachers like her. However I also think Mr. Brigg’s role is important because schools also need teachers like him otherwise all the student would be out of control. I think that Mrs. Kay is the bets kind of teacher for the progress class because the progress class need someone who can understand their problems that they have at home and in life, and they also need someone who believe they can achieve more in life than growing up to work in a factory.