Let me apologise now to any readers who are completely lost by what I’m about to write. I’m very aware that there are teachers now who were born in the 1990s, and much as that pains me, I am realistic about the fact that I’m getting to be part of the “old school” now. Mind you, let’s be fair, too: chances are that if you’re of the generation that routinely took the 11-plus, then this might be outside your experience, too.

I want to take the chance to say thank you to the BBC for the part it played in my primary education - and maybe to campaign to see it play a bigger role in schools today. At a time when the job has become harder than ever for teachers, it seems that it’s a perfect organisation to help out, and we could see a revival of some of the things that made primary education such fun in the ‘80s.

First, let’s see the return of Country Dancing cassettes. Times have moved on, so I’ll accept a podcast or some new-fangled equivalent, but the key thing is that it should be a lesson-in-a-box. We still have dance as a part of the national curriculum, so why not deliver it via a boombox in the corner of the hall under strict instruction from a stern-sounding Scottish lady?

The BBC: Just let Auntie do the teaching...

As I recall, Country Dancing involved a lot of working in pairs and skipping along the middle of two rows of children - but perhaps there was more to it than that? Certainly, I can’t see that it was any worse than some of the random things we do in the name of dance now - and the teacher gets 20 minutes to sit down and hand over to the BBC.

Then, back in the classroom, let’s see the return of BBC documentaries for schools. All those of my generation will have fond memories of either being taken to the TV room, or for the more fancy among you, having the large TV wheeled into the classroom. With the clunky video player locked away in the large metal cabinet, the world of BBC Schools programming was your oyster. And again, for 20 minutes, teachers could enjoy handing over to the wisdom of Auntie to educate the nation.

Whether it was Look and Read (Badger Girl being a personal favourite from first school) or the wonderful Numbertime  - featuring the oddly-named El Nombre - there were hours of learning to be garnered from sitting the whole class down in front of the box. And with the advent of large screens and easy internet connections, what better way to bring the BBC into the classroom?

Good children’s documentaries are woefully lacking these days. With knowledge high on the agenda, surely television programmes are a great way to tell the stories of British history or great artists - or even the rules of Stoolball? And I don’t mean brief two-minute clips on YouTube: I want a proper documentary programme aimed at juniors  - a perfect gap for the BBC to fill.

Then, when we get back to our desks, children will have seen and heard the greatest of what has been thought and said of the world through the respectable voice of Auntie and can set to task.

And don’t worry - there’s something for the most able, too. Just like in the ‘80s, if you’ve got someone in your class who has finished their work, there’s an easy solution: the BBC computer in the corner of the room. A few minutes to load the disk, a quick tap of the “SHIFT-BREAK” combination and they’re away exploring Merlin’s Castle!

All thanks to Auntie.

Michael Tidd is headteacher at Medmerry Primary School in West Sussex. He tweets @MichaelT1979