Our day out

In the play “Our day out” Mr Briggs has a very significant role he’s the strict teacher which is the complete opposite to the student loving Mrs Kay. The two characters are very important in the play as it shows two very different teaching and discipline methods completely clash. The setting of the play is in Liverpool in the 1960’s this is important in the play as it has elements that prove it is around this period. This was around the time of “Thatcher’s Britain” which therefore was largely show though the book showing how the students parents haven’t got a lot of money and how many of the children haven’t ever had the chance to leave Liverpool before. Mr Briggs character is an arrogant and harsh teacher; he therefore doesn’t have a great deal of respect for the children or his fellow colleagues. In the play Mr Briggs character has a very negative attitude towards the trip to Wales therefore showing a negative attitude to the reader. I don’t think that the book has sufficient evidence to prove if Mr Briggs day out with the children has changed him.

The setting is in “inner-city Liverpool” which in this time would not have been a very nice place to live as there was a high unemployment rate among the working class as the coal mine issues at that time. There was also many boarded up house showing maybe a high crime rate or that the people couldn’t afford to maintain there houses. The students in the book didn’t have a very nice manner whilst talking to others. This was shown when Riley is making inappropriate suggestions to Colin about Linda. The first part of the play including Mr Briggs was in the headmasters office when he isn’t happy that Mrs Kay has been allowed to take the progress class on a school trips, he gives a negative vibe. He then goes onto the bus and we see how he acts around the students and how he treats his pupils.

“Reilly. Dickson. Sit down!” He barked at the students, therefore showing how may have a short temper as he did not approach them politely as others may have. The students therefore don’t have a high opinion of him as he then after read his huge lists of rule, telling the children how to have fun instead of advising. The student are however aware of Mr Briggs authority even though people aren’t every positive towards him.

In our day out, there is many incidents that happen with the children where Mrs Kay is not acting responsible, for example in the shop there was no teachers present when the children were buying food. This resulted in the children stealing. Although Mr Briggs says to Mrs Kay “To be quite honest Mrs Kay, I think we should be inside looking after them.” Mrs Kay replies “Ooh…leave them.” So even tough Mr Briggs is being more responsible he doesn’t act on it. This happens towards the beginning of the book. There is another incident towards the end at the zoo where the children are left alone in the zoo and they all end up taking all the animals, but the teachers didn’t realise until the coach is stopped by an angry employee telling them how the animals have been taken by the children.