What kind of society would willingly traumatise its children in the name of education? | John Harris

Anna Fazackerley has been publishing an investigation into two schools in Hackney .

The Mossbourne Federation , run by the trailblazing Mat , is renowned for academic success.

The Observer and BBC London reports both contain one very striking revelation: that teaching staff have been encouraged to introduce children to “healthy fear” The Department for Education says the allegations are “deeply distressing”.

Hackney councillors trying to address what has been happening have to deal with a tangle of individuals and institutions.

The idea that draconian school regimes represent the only dependable route to academic success has often seemed to be a matter of hardened consensus, without the evidence to match.

We seem to have rather mislaid the idea that education is also about ensuring that the maximum number of children and young people are confident, well rounded and happy.