“We’ve come to take ‘selfies’ with you,” a group of young teachers told former NUT general secretary Fred Jarvis (pictured) after he had delivered a speech to mark 100 years of Tes.

“What on earth are ‘selfies’?” he asked them.

The explanation didn’t do much to impress him either. He preferred the kind of photography that captured moments in history and said something about the communities that were being captured by the camera.

Charity auction

And that is why - just recently - he staged an exhibition at the TUC headquarters and raised more than £2,000 for charity in less than a couple of hours through an auction.

Photos of Labour party luminaries such as Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Dennis Skinner and Ken Livingstone. Photos capturing some of the world’s greatest leaders, such as Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton.  Photos capturing street scenes from behind Iron Curtain and China. All were up for grabs.

The bidding for the photos only stalled once, over a photograph of Labour luminaries that included Peter Mandelson. “Airbrush Mandelson out of the photograph,” called out one Left-winger, in a bid to help the sale on its way.

Fred, though, is not the type for airbrushing. I’m not, either - although it’s tempting to speculate as to who you would most like to be airbrushed out of education history. Michael G... No, don’t let’s go down that road.

Adult education cuts

I mention the auction and exhibition because it seems appropriate to congratulate Fred on still raising money for charity and holding events such as this at the age of 93. 

And because, at the time when adult education budgets are being decimated, the sector can always do with a reminder of how age should never be a limit to achievement.

Like Fred, I have been a lifelong opponent of selection at the age of 11 - and spent most of my life as an education journalist arguing against the retention of grammar schools.

This half-term week, though, I have finally found something to praise about them.

‘Better than Eton’

A Chelmsford grammar school, King Edward Vl, leased out its facilities for a local beer and cider festival last week.

I remember writing about it years ago - in an earlier incarnation as a Mirror journalist - when it achieved better A-level results than Eton, which it regularly does, suggesting the Royal family should send William and Harry there for their education and save the country a bob or two. 

I remember thinking at the time I would have preferred to have been saying that of a comprehensive school.

But I can’t argue with its decision to raise funds for education through a beer festival. I only hope they cleared up efficiently before the students went back this week.

Richard Garner was education editor of The Independent for 12 years, and previously news editor of Tes. He has been writing about education for more than three decades

To read more columns by Richard, view his back catalogue

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