I HAVE mixed feelings about the 15-year-old student allegedly stood down at Napier Girls' High School for speaking her mind about the standard of teaching at her school, during a class speech which was later posted on Facebook.
She said teachers handed out pieces of paper and then did nothing, taught them irrelevant skills not related to "real life", and said that teachers' anger over pay filtered down to their performance.
People have leapt to support her on the basis of freedom of speech and honest opinion - two cornerstones of my profession which I have to support in principle.
But with freedom of speech comes a hefty responsibility, especially if you are going to publish that speech.
The trouble is, every reasonably motivated child at school is probably looking for the Kiwi version of Robin Williams from the movie Dead Poets Society.
Of course we all remember our great teachers, and we usually remember them for their personality, because a personable teacher will usually get better results, just through likeability.
And what I've generally found is that teachers who weren't liked was because of their personality, not their teaching ability or knowledge.
So it is likely that any grievance you'd have about teaching standards would more evolve around personalities, not skill - and personalities cuts both ways between pupils and teachers.
Is it fair to curse an education system just because Robin Williams isn't whispering carpe diem in your ear?
Certainly the cry of the teaching being "it's not relevant to real life" cuts no ice with me, because school is about exercising the mind as well as knowledge. Pupils probably won't appreciate that we are taught to have enquiring minds, and be problem-solvers, and that sets us up to learn about adult stuff.
You know, it doesn't hurt to knuckle down and pass those exams. You're learning how to learn and adapt. Try going to university, or first job, without those abilities.