Stephen Fry: These People Get Almost No Respect 😡 

Several years ago, quite unexpectedly, I realized the person I was speaking to was once one of my high school teachers. I figured he must of had thousands of students and probably wouldn’t remember me so, I didn’t say anything. He had just started teaching when I met him, he was then a Professor at a university. He was a great teacher, tried so very hard to connect and involve us, was passionate about what he believed teaching was. A few days later I wrote to him to thank him for what he had done, to thank him for encouraging me to broaden my love history and for his patience. I told him what I had done with my life, I also gave him specific examples of things he had taught me that I still remember 40 years later. I sent the letter not expecting a response. A few weeks later, I received a letter that I treasure. He told me my letter had bought him to tears, that for a teacher a student is an unfinished book. He recognized my name but assumed I wouldn’t have remembered him so didn’t say anything. They know how the book started but very rarely do they find out if they ever made a difference or if their efforts were appreciated. If you ever get the chance, it’s never too late to say thank you and tell someone that they made a difference and that you are grateful.

It's been said so many times but I could listen to Mr Fry for hours. Most of my teachers seemed to be tired & bored timeservers but my history teacher made the subject live. He filled me with love for the subject and now, at 65 yrs old, I still feel the same. Teachers should be held to much higher standards but the good ones should be paid the same as doctors and lawyers.

As a retired teacher who tried and tried to help and inspire my students and to make the things I taught interesting and accessible, I'd like to thank Stephen for his lovely words.

Thank you, Mr Fry! I can't begin to express the love you inspire. I don't mind admitting that I cried at this

It's so lovely to hear this. The story of a boy discovering something of his own unique self-worth, and how (as we all know now) it becomes central to the man he is. And yes, good teachers deserve more recognition. These are the people who have such a big influence on shaping our children - our future.

I taught for 6 months. When I mentioned to Stephen I was doing this, he said “don’t you find it tiring?” (Emotionally as opposed to physically). I went into facilitation when the teaching job finished, far more fulfilling. Good teachers deserve a medal. And a pay rise!

I was a teacher … just retired the summer. Oh the glory days of being able to follow a child’s interests and talents; sadly children are schooled now and not taught in the same way…schooled to pass tests. I will blow my own trumpet … I was a bloody good teacher. Children I’ve taught have kept in touch, friends are now those who used to be their parents … I was forced out by bullying dictators who don’t/can’t allow this way of teaching anymore as we have the mighty OFSTED to answer to; I couldn’t bear the sight of five and six year olds sitting in rows facing the front and copying from the board. I loved my job, loved those “light bulb” moments … and I spent far more hours working than I was actually paid for. Tolerated the vitriol spewed by the press … and watched my pay drop year on year, to see that what was once a valued and respected profession become a focus for all things ill. I don’t know how we turn that back now here in the west, def in the UK. Thank You Stephen for your affirmation of the value of education.

You were so fortunate to be in an education system where the teachers have the time to be able to assess individual strengths. I feel it is important that we don't simply cast aside a child who may be poor in the arts but good at science or vice versa. While arguably streaming children at too young an age would also be damaging, we have to somehow recognise that not everyone is the same.

Biggest fan of Stephen Fry always - what a joy to listen to and read his opinions❤

Spot on Stephen. A good teacher inspires and is worth ten times more than they currently get paid.

Stephen Fry - one of favorite people to listen to, especially when he talks about life and living it. Huge respect for the man.

I wish we’d still had the option of learning Latin and Ancient Greek at school. I would have loved that. My favourite subjects were English and French because they were “codes” to be solved just like Stephen says. I also taught myself webcoding (this was the early 90s) and made up my own coded language which I wrote all my journals in. I read and wrote stories obsessively. I was useless at PE and labelled stupid and slow by some of my teachers (not my English or my French teachers who gave me higher level work than the other kids). Other teachers thought I was slow because when I was called on to answer a question I couldn’t process the question fast enough (auditory processing difficulties). Turns out I am autistic and have ADHD. Now I’m a technical writer. I remember thinking as a kid that the fact the teachers called me useless was a reflection of who they were and nothing to do with me. I don’t know where I got that defiance from. Because if I’d believed them I probably would have never have graduated from my undergraduate degree with a First or got a Distinction in my Masters.

I taught A-level for twenty plus years. I quit in January 2024. I now work for minimum wage. In my last year I was very pleased to have facilitated a student gaining access to Cambridge University to study History. That seemed a sensible conclusion to my career. The job is relentless. Nothing is ever enough. There is always more that I should do. Always room for improvement. Never applauded. I was at the top of the scale in FE, teaching A-level and earning £34k at age 50. (Sixth form pay is much better, and it's the same job if you teach A-levels). I would hope that I will be remembered fondly. Thank you Stephen. Your words matter.

The value of a really good teacher is immense - good teachers can be absolutely crucial for shaping the paths of life and feeling of self worth, of their students.

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." William Arthur Ward Taken from Stephen Fry's book The Ode Less Travelled

Thank you for showcasing The Amazing MR Fry. I always delight in his humble nature, his truthful vulnerability. His kindheartedness. It’s so lacking in this era. I’m 70. I cherish Mr Fry’s qualities and how he diligently worked at his struggles to have a better quality personal life. He then travels to honor and empower others. How I applaud him. 🎉🎉🎉

Love Stephen, what a character. Despite his fame, he was genuinely touched by the round of applause he got from the crew. Sadly, I'm 63 and still haven't found out what I'm good at... or even like. Still lost.

I see Stephen as a philosopher rather than an actor or presenter. His skill is to demonstrate not how brilliant he is but how entertaining information can be. Good teachers don't indoctrinate or politicise, they actually encourage thought and thought exercises. As a child I hated geography, but enjoyed the lesson because the teacher would challenge you to engage in discussion and debate about all kinds of things... That is teaching...

Stephen ticks every box of what everyone admires & enjoys. Such an articulate highly intelligent man. Charming & funny too!!

It is worth a round of applause this, isn't it? What an extraordinarily wonderful man. Thanks so much to Chris and his team for the interview and to Virgin Radio for sticking it up on YT. Thanks to all. Wonderful.

I had a great headmaster, that decades later my school mates and I, acknowledged for being so impactful on our different lives. impactful in a positive way. I remember 2 things that he said that hit me. The first was the definition of "empathy". The second was how the word "business" is constructed from "Busy Ness". With "empathy" you can have relations and you can negotiate deals. With "business" you understand that you have to work at things. Pretty well everyday I consider those ideas. I am sad to say that this man died from dementia. Life took away that keen mind.

The one thing I love about teaching is the creativity you have to have. If you explain something to the students and they dont understand it, you have to find another way of explaining it, and if they still dont understand it you have to find a third way, and keep finding new ways until they all understand it. All the while you also need to understand from the get go that it is not the students who are dumb, but your explanation that just doesnt work. It is such a huge reward when all of them get it.

I was at Grammar School in the late '60s, where the masters still wore gowns and mortar boards and the standard of teaching was incredible. Every boy who attended that school had the absolute best start in life that could be imagined.

A suggestion to Virgin Radio if you want to really make a difference: You could report on this week’s teacher awards in the same way that you might cover the Oscars or the Brit Awards. Profile the nominees and then interview the winners after the event. This has much more impact than clapping for Stephen Fry (though Stephen is also deserving of frequent applause)

Stephen Fry is an a amazing man, and national treasure

I take some comfort from that. As a teacher I often feel I'm achieving nothing. I navigate children through a marking matrix so that credits can be accumulated as that's how they're increasingly 'measured'. It seldom feels like I'm educating anybody. But all that aside, I do take their wellbeing seriously. I relate others' children to my own and am guided by doing for them as I would like done for my own. And, coming back to Mr Fry's comments, I make sure they all know that they have strengths. Some are undiscovered but they're there. If you can do nothing else you can at least make the kids feel good about themselves.

Thank you Stephen Fry! Everybody can teach you something, everybody is good at something.We all need to remember that.

I could listen to Stephen Fry all day long

Having this amazing gentleman in our world really makes a difference for me. (Selfishly) a walking talking "library of Alexandria" Love you Stephen! ❤

One of the rare times chris evans doesn't interupt the interviewee! Mr Fry is a national treasure.

My only complaint about Stephen Fry is that there’s only one of him. Such a wise, witty, thoughtful person who carries the torch for the Enlightenment in our time.

Let’s not forget; for all those marvellous teachers who inspire and deserve awards there are those who can shatter a child’s self confidence in seconds. My son left secondary education at 16 with no decent GCSE’s. Not because he wasn’t intelligent but because he was lost in the system of a massive Comprehensive and bullied by his peers. One particular teacher told him that he could forget any idea of his ‘dream job’ because it was never going to happen. 6 years after leaving, he had a light bulb moment and decided to try for it anyway as he said (quote) “I don’t want to be looking back in 40yrs😅 wishing what might have been .” After his day job, he self studied for 2 years, passed 18 exams for Civil Aviation Authority and I sacrificed my job, took early retirement to give him the money for flight school . He qualified as a Commercial Pilot, all 1st time passes and with grades in the top 5% of the Country ! He’s been a pilot for 16years.

Stephen Fry's experiences echoed my own. A disaster at sport and bored with much that I was expected to do at school, mainly because I couldn't do things the way that I was expected. However, I was fortunate in my teachers. They saw my strengths, and worked with them. I was already reading and writing when I started school, so I was given a quiet corner to sit and read whilst my peers learned their alphabet. By the time those peers were reading their first books, I was being provided with Dickens. I was never forced to do sport, being totally inept, instead I used to spend my time producing display work for the whole school, because I was good at art. This continued into secondary school where I was encouraged to take alternative routes. When it came to 'A' Levels, I was useless and failed, but a teacher training college saw my potential and offered me a place. Ironically, my eventual degree was better than any achieved by my peers who followed the well trodden academic path. That path was never for me, I much preferred exploring the muddy patches at the side of the path, or veering into the near by fields ir woods 😊 I was a teacher for 35 years (before retiring early for health reasons). One of the things that made me angry was the off-hand manner in which my colleagues would dismiss a pupil. Their attitude was, "oh, they can't do my subject, they must be thick!" They were focused upon what pupils couldn't do rather than finding, which I took as my primary role, what they could do. In a way, this backfired upon me. Several on the management team recognised my "ability" to get the best out of the pupils. As a result I waa given the difficult classes, the lower sets, or those pupils who were just falling through the net. It was hard work, but I look back with some pride. Often, the pupils that others had dismissed, were getting higher grades than their peers. I suppose that the fact that I am not neurotypical played a part. I am autistic, though not diagnosed until after I retired. I see the world differently to a neurotypical person, and so was more likely to spot the potential within every pupil. I was not, of course, completely successful, some would slip through the net because they chose to. However, and I include my handful of failures, everyone has something that they can do well if only they get recognised and guided. No one should be dismissed in an off-hand manner.

As a misfit in my primary years I was called stupid for 8 years and this was not discouraged by the nuns when the other children copied them. I found out in my 40's that I was dyslexic. I taught myself to read by closely examining the shape of each letter and because I was damned well not going to fail. It took me more than 2 years. The damage to oneself is permanent at that age and self confidence deeply dented. Sharp wit was my answer. I could never understand why they then thought I was stupid if I could make quick comebacks. Nuns make horrible teachers and I bet very few of them were on the list of prize winners.

Stephen Fry is spot on- good teachers deserve respect.

I have a Philosophy PhD and have infinitely more respect for electricians, mechanics, plumbers, carpenters etc than I do for e.g. Gender Studies undergraduates, because of their superior grasp of applied logic.

This man is the literature version of sir David Attenborough and should be protected at every cost..I could listen to him all day

I haven't thought about this for years until this video: I couldn't sing, play an instrument, keep rhythm or anything musical at school even though I've always loved music. The music teacher basically wrote me off as useless as a result. Then, one day, we had an actual written test. Never had one before. And I came top. The teacher made a show of how astonished she was when she gave our papers back to us. I just looked at her and shrugged as though I didn't care what she thought. She ever quite knew how to deal with me after that.

This is why Stephen Fry is a true Legend!! I love this man ❤

As a BP type 1 with a long suffering partner, who sees things a little differently. Listening to this ramble gave my steady, pleasure abundant. Big love from Serbia 🇷🇸.

If I could have tea with anyone, it would be Stephen Fry. I'm not clever, but I find him fascinating because he is so intelligent. ❤

Well said. The terrible thing is teaching is seen as a vocation and good teachers put a huge amount of effort in for the love of it. Management or Government almost always exploits this and dumps on them, pays them appallingly etc. Until they burn out.

Sadly many people leave school with the perception of themselves that the education system impresses on them. I'm 64 now and my advice to young people is when you leave school then that's the very start of being able to educate yourself in what you're good at and love. Don't expect it to be given to you, go out and take your own steps to educating yourself in what's going to work for you. It may well be a journey over the first few years finding out what that is, but in many cases it's intrinsically linked to what you love doing in your spare. Don't be frightened of 'not knowing' or feel like you 'might look foolish'. Everyone of us is ignorant in any subject until we seek to educate ourselves about it. The internet can be a wonderful tool for educating ourselves in many things and finding courses that will help us. Don't be frightened of struggling or failing at first either. The route to success is often paved with failures that we make through the learning process.

A teacher that cares makes all the difference in a child's life. Most countries are now reaping the benefits of constant and systematic destruction of education budgets. So many talented people are being driven away from teaching and the next generation is suffering.

Another wonderfully inspiring interview this morning Chris & Team. Thank you.

I admire the way Stephen Fry mentioned the Taxi Drivers and how they were made to feel stupid in school. State Education failed to teach my daughter to read, write and spell. I used Art and Music to make reading fun and not stressful. She has passed her English Exam and was awarded Best Student and Artist in College. Home Education helped her to be self-motivated and determined to succeed in life. There are some good teachers. But sadly there are bad ones too (Bullies). I feel our children deserve a kinder Bespoke Education which promotes what they are good at, not what is expected! I was taught ITA English Twaddle in school here in the UK (England). A backward Alien language that made no sense whatsoever. Thankfully parents got it banned. It's amazing I can spell at all. But I am a warrior. ♥️

Our collective Humanity is blessed to have Stephen Fry as an advocate for the oppressed and maligned. We are nothing without people like him.

LoveStephen Fry. He has a great insight into finding the skills in people. ❤

I went to a sink school. So bad at had write ups in the Evening Standard. But a had brilliant history teachers who taught me the value of curiosity and learning. And from there you can teach yourself and I have taken that with me through my whole life and it has opened so many doors

I so so love that point Stephen makes about how people are amazed at his cleverness but its the fact that he's just interested in certain things which sound so clever and other people have interests in other things, in his example football. However there's no doubt Stephen is incredibly clever but still, its a lovely self deprecating and very kind way to explain it and bring all the rest of us in on his journey, sharing knowledge and empowering others. What a wonderful man he is.

There was a teacher once who jumped up on top of his desk in front of all the students and asked them why he did that? One student at the back of the class shouted out "because you're a nutter, sir". The whole classroom laughed. The teacher looked down at one of the students in the front row and said how does it make you feel seeing me tower above you, does it make you feel small? Yes, the student replied. When you feel small, do you feel more or less confident? Less confident, sir. When you feel less confident, do you feel like you can pass your exams next month? No, sir. When you feel less confident, and small, and that you'll fail your exams, do your dreams seem more obtainable or less obtainable? Less, sir. The teacher then jumped down off of his desk and instructed the student to climb on top of his desk, and the teacher took his place in his students' seat. How do you feel now? Do you feel big and powerful up there? Yes, sir. When you feel big, and powerful, do you feel more confident or less confident? More confident, sir. How do you feel about your exams now that you're confident, do you think you'll pass? Yes, sir. What about your dreams, are they more obtainable or less obtainable? More obtainable, sir. The teacher thanked the student and instructed him to go back to his seat. The teacher stood in front of the class and asked what happened? The same student at the back of the class shouted out 'you brainwashed him sir'. The class laughed. What you've learned today is being able to view the world from a different perspective. How your perceptions of things can change your attitude, how you treat them, how you treat yourself. Take a moment to detach yourself from the situation and look at it from a distance. Imagine what's happening on the other side, and don't be so quick to judge. See you all tomorrow.

Bravo Stephen Fry. Our teachers and education are not recognised enough. Good teachers beget good teachers and we need better teaching in today’s world. Especially, I would argue, in history. If people knew more about the appalling mistakes of the past maybe we wouldn’t be so keen to repeat them.

I rather like the Irish tradition of choosing artists, poets and cultural figures to be their President. Well, in that spirit I nominate Stephen Fry to be President of Britain.

What Fry said about London taxi drivers, an even more impressive example would be the New York tour guide we knew as Eddie taking us by coach around the major attractions of the city, and being able to deliver a lot of interesting anecdotes about those locations. He didn't even do the driving, someone else did, but the amount of concentration he must've needed to be aware of his whereabouts and be able to deliver the right information must've taken weeks of practice! It took a lot out of him as well, as he was constantly looking around out of the coach windows, and even told a couple of our tour group to please keep quiet as they were talking and most likely distracting him. At least a couple of times, we even got off the coach to have a look at major landmarks like Grand Central Terminal and the former Ground Zero (this was in 2012). I wonder how much he got paid for that job?

""Stephen Fry, Thaumaturge of the Written and Spoken Word!"🙏

Mr Fry is so correct, we never give teachers the respect for the responsibility of expanding the children’s minds. . . But of course governments do not want an educated population because we would ask to many questions. . Give them football, gambling and beer . .

Growing up in West Yorkshire in the 1950s/60s, it was common for parents of that era to regard some children as 'brain boxes' and, basically believed what had been passed on to them and their children. Come to the infamous 11+ exam, which scared to death many sensitive children (often burdened under the element of water!) did not even bother to complete the test, as they emotionally pondered the gravitas of the event, the intense responsibility of passing the exam, to have a greater opportunity to go on to higher education. I was one such person, who ventured out into the world at age 20, worked my way through various activities in employment, (first by using my voice), and later found myself to be a true asset to the medical profession, working with the most eminent physicians in the world, writing and reading, studying, learning, and moving into a profession myself - without an 11+ or high school education in Britain. I teach others to find their talents, skills, and loves, their gift of contribution, and to know and understand that we all have a place in this world and each is brilliant in some way and has something that our fellows require and need of us and services both us and them.

Brenda Price, Marie-Louise Wardle and Reginald Anthony Peter are three teachers, from my murky schooldays, to whom I owe so much.

Very astute as completing the knowledge gave me the confidence to complete a degree and then become a teacher. The best teachers aren't necessarily those that succeed in education first time.

Respect to Chris for letting his guest talk...

Love his intelligence, wit and story telling

Chris…love your ‘dys and dat’ explanation…so many teachers will relate to you and Mr Fry..excellent show! ❤❤❤

Fry is describing the perfect teacher. My sense is that there are only, a very few who fit into that description. Also I’d prefer it if Evans didn’t wear a hat indoors.

Another brilliant segment from Stephen Fry. I've lost count!

I met Stephen Fry in Hatchards Piccadilly years ago, I have a NE accent and he was so quick, he said "you are not from round here are you"!! he was a lovely man, huge and gave off a wonderful energy!!

Stephen is always worth listening too. Although he has momentous achievements is always humble, and let’s face it Harry Potter wouldn’t be the same without him

I remember many of my wonderful teachers. I have already forgotten most of the MPs who have supposedly represented me.

This man is unique pure genius, class big fan of his pure class so intelligent funny has it all .

Bloody hell, Chris Evans is unrecognisable! Aged beyond recognition, scary what time does

I love Stephen Fry. I could listen to him all day. National treasure? Oh yes!

Definitely a national treasure!! I could listen to him for ages on any topic and i wouldn't get bored!

Unfortunately our world is full of unsung heroes.

it's a shame that the dismal educational system of the uk isn't able to manage utilise of brilliance of people like Stephen Fry in some capacity.

It really is quite simple - the world is a better place because it has Stephen Fry in it.

Stephen Fry is a national treasure.

Here teachers finally get respect, without good education the whole of society collapses. Which is actually slowly happening. Politicians see it as an expensive expense.

Love Stephen Fry..So modest and just a likeable, knowledgeable person..The Man most people would love to live next door to!

Thank you (yet again) Mr Fry. Oh, the importance of good teaching and the recognition that everyone has ability and value to be nurtured! I was fortunate to go to what was and is regarded as a very good school. In some things I did very well; in others not so much. For many years I attributed my less than good areas of performance to selective stupidity. That attribution might still be valid I hasten to add, but I also realised that my so called ‘good’ teachers in those subjects never bothered to engage us in the ‘why’ of so many things. Algebra, calculus, logarithms, geometry- math in general - stood out for me in this regard. They were just presented as a sort of fait accompli: “here, learn that”. Why? “Because it’s in the end of term exam.” Yeah, but why do we do this and why algebra? “Just do it boy and stop being obtuse, you idiot. Detention!” And so passed a frustrated couple of years until I could ditch math. Now, I know about the Babylonians solving for unknown quantities and the savant, Al-Khwarizmi, and the applications in computer science, telecommunications, medicine, flight, engineering. But to a small kid none of that was necessarily self evident. Despite that older awareness, I still suck at math, but what I wouldn’t have given for a teacher who started out by posing and answering that simple question, why?

I remember reading a newspaper or magazine article comparing the costs of sending a child to Eton College to the costs involved in sending a youth to a Young Offenders Institution. Eton was cheaper !

I like your enthusiasm for the origin of words. It's like a huge puzzle. I was raised in the UK but now live in the Netherlands. I remember at the start of my journey to learning Dutch that I was told that the Dutch word for rucksack is rugzak. Now you can see how those two words are similar but this is the bit that got me. In Dutch rug means back and zak means bag. Put those together and suddenly it's a very descriptive word. But how did English end up with such a similar word but have ruck where Dutch has rug? To me it suggested a previous collaboration between the languages even if ruck does have some forgotten meaning not related to a count of people, rugby, or a messed up piece of cloth.

In a perfect world this man would be appointed head of education.

Wonderful intellect . And yes , good teachers the world over are true heroes .

Me = failed by a secondary education. No encouragement no interest from teachers, never given homework. Left school at 15 with no qualifications. Now 70 just retired to the the Amalfi coast from the UK having discovered hard work and persistence pays off. I built my own destiny started off delivering coal in a old van ended up with a haulage company with 200 employees .

I wonder how different his life would have been had his parents not been able to pay for his education.

I could listen to Stephen Fry all day long.

Interesting his talk of Taxi Drivers. I'm sure The amount a taxi driver has to absorb to gain the Knowledge,would frighten most of us

Mr. Fry is brilliant. He always gives credit where it is due. I have adored him for years. A great orator and scholar.❤

4:34 - the part about how hard it is to become a cab driver in London isn't very comforting when you consider the rise of Uber and driver less cars.

Thank you I worked in Healthcare for 30 yrs and only realized I was capable of much more study. But hey keeping people down works for the Ego driven

Imagine if some people had had a teacher like the one Stephen mentioned when they were kids, taking the time to speak to them and bestow some confidence on them, their lives could have turned out so differently.

Perhaps if teachers taught children to think for themselves rather than what to think they may he more public respect. Just a thought.

I was always called intelligent, but also heard at every parents' evening "she's great in class, but doesn't do well in exams", and I got told repeatedly that I didn't revise enough. Turns out, I'm dyspraxic too and just couldn't keep the information in my head. Only two teachers in seven years put two and two together and taught me differently - they're the only two classes I got an A in. Stephen's right; basing intelligence, or ability, on a "one size fits all" system is such bullshit. There are some fiercely intelligent people out there who go through school thinking they're idiots, and some idiots who think they're intelligent just because they exam well. And it's the former who get left behind. It's ridiculous.

Thank you for such an enlightened and respectful view, valuing what should be valued

Words of wisdom indeed

It's my belief that we all have what I call a "brain filter." It's different for each person, and we have no control over what it catches and what it lets through. I can't remember numbers and arithmetical facts and formulae, for instance. But I remember bits of trivia that I've heard just once, in passing. And I have a facility for making up nonsense lyrics to songs on the spot. These may not be marketable skills, but offshoots of the things our brain filters collect can be useful in the right working context. The best teachers and mentors recognize this and nourish it in young people.

A national treasure, but more importantly a wonderful human being ............ which is why he resonates with so many people!

So true, a great teacher knows how to bring out the best of students even the ones that have massive self doubt

Didn’t know Evan’s had turned into a little granny

I could listen to Stephen talk all day long.

Such a pleasure to listen Stephen Fry. He can make any subject sound interesting and captivate the listener. The old lady though in the green baseball cap seemed a little lost at times.