Graduation Day Extreme School

Eight kids who just wouldn't behave in class...

Ow! That hurt, Ibbi!

..signed up to four of the world's most extreme schools.

-Charlie, sit up!

-No talking. No moving.

THEY SPEAK IN KOREAN

For most of them, it was the experience of a lifetime.

I've realised how much you need an education.

But will they all be graduating with honours?

-I'm not talking to you.

-Sit up!

Hopefully they'll see it in me, that I've changed, so... Fingers crossed.

Today, for the first time, all eight are meeting at a cinema in London...

..to share some of their finest moments.

Oh, look at them shoes.

Then I return to all four schools, to reveal who's graduated.

Will it be an A-star, or an F for fail?

And who's behaving in class now they're back in the UK.

We were very concerned as to what the future might hold for them.

Hello everyone, and welcome to your Extreme School graduation day!

Today we'll reveal who's made the grade, and we'll be sharing

some of your best school moments on the big screen!

-Are you ready?

-Yes.

-Let's go!

Now, this is a very big occasion.

It's the first time all eight of our Extreme School pupils

have been in the same room together.

Fight, fight, fight! Only joking.

You're all model pupils.

But it hasn't always been like that. Roll film.

It all began in East London, with tricky twosome Ibbi and Keziah.

Ibbi's mouth often got him in trouble.

Last term, I had quite a lot of detentions.

I did up to 15 in one month.

And Keziah was known for running away from her teachers.

I like to get out of my seat, walk around the classroom.

Sometimes walk out of the classroom.

Then came the giggling Geordie girls Maisie and Alice.

Maisie often flouted school rules, and liked having the last word.

When the teachers say something I disagree with,

I always have to say my opinion back.

While Alice rarely did her homework, and mucked about in class.

I get in trouble at least twice a day,

for talking in lessons, being cheeky to the teachers

and messing around in the corridors.

Next it was off to Bristol, to meet lively lads Charlie and Aiden.

Charlie liked to think he was cleverer than his teachers.

Teachers describe me as rude, arrogant...

And Aidan only got enthusiastic in class

when he was chanting football songs.

I muck about, and I answer back to the teachers,

and I don't do my work.

The final destination was Swansea,

to meet problematic pair Brandon and Shane.

Brandon had a reputation for talking back to teachers.

I think school's a boring waste of time.

While Shane's favourite hobby was distracting other pupils.

If I could get away with not going to school, then I would.

What did you think when you saw yourself on the big screen?

It was horrible. It's like you talking to yourself.

-Like, making you realise.

-It's a bit shocking.

I didn't realise that it puts you in the position of a teacher.

I don't think I was that bad.

So Ibbi, who do you think was the worst behaved out of all of you?

-I think Charlie.

-Charlie.

-Aidan.

-Aidan.

-Brandon.

-Brandon.

Aidan.

That's two votes for you, Aidan.

So between the eight of you, you travelled

to four very different corners of the world.

And this is the moment where you found out where you were going.

Hello, everyone! I'm Susan Calman from Extreme School!

Hello.

I'm looking for Keziah and Ibbi.

Aidan and Charlie.

Maisie and Alice.

Brandon and Shane. Hello...

At this school, your day begins at 6:00am.

6:00am!

You must bow to your teachers.

No way! No way.

You'll have completed seven lessons before lunch.

LAUGHTER

You are not allowed to wear any make-up or jewellery.

You are off to the Phoenix Military Academy in Chicago, USA!

Cadets! March in step! Move!

You are going to

Daewon International Middle School in Seoul, South Korea!

Students who work hard at school will go far in life.

You are going to The Bishop's School in India!

In India?

Stand at ease... Attention...

The motto of The Bishop's School is just one word, and it's thorough.

Maisie and Alice, you are going...

to St Joseph's Convent School in St Lucia!

Yes!

It's not a holiday you're going on.

This is a convent school. It's a school run by nuns.

I've never met a nun before.

You're going to meet lots of nuns in St Lucia!

I do not tolerate students being disrespectful. Zero tolerance.

Maisie and Alice, you looked really excited.

What did you think was going to happen in St Lucia?

Like, going to beaches every day and sunbathing and stuff.

And where you a bit intimidated at the thought of meeting some nuns?

Yeah. Cos I heard that they were really horrible and strict.

You in particular, Ibbi, seemed rather shocked by the 6:00am start.

I usually like lay-ins in the mornings. I'm a bit lazy.

So which school sounds like it would be the hardest school to be at?

Either India, or St Lucia.

Knowing that it's nuns that run it, and they're very strict.

I wouldn't have liked to go there.

And India, because you have seven periods before lunch.

The hardest school sounds like the military school.

They're obviously going to be really strict, if they're military.

And they'll definitely not be able to wake up at 6:00am every morning.

Every pupil wants to make theirs individual.

Some girls like to shorten it

and let's not get me started on boys and ties.

I am talking of course about school uniform.

Unfortunately for these guys,

there was no chance of customising an Extreme School uniform.

In Chicago, Keziah and Ibbi were thrown in at the deep end

when they were left to work out the complex military dress code.

These are the uniforms that you'll be wearing while you're here.

How come there's like, three pairs of trousers?

I hate hats.

Aaagh! No.

In South Korea, the Welsh boys were less than impressed

with their super-smart Daewon blazers.

-Are you being serious?

-You're having a laugh.

Yous lot are lucky, man. Ours is way worse than that.

Yours aren't bad!

I wouldn't have minded for them to be like that.

They were up there on me. You could see my socks.

But they were soon cutting the mustard.

THEY SPEAK IN KOREAN

I reckon we look like a pair of old men, to be honest.

Not initially bowled over by their convent girl pinafores...

-This is your uniform.

-Oh, look at them shoes.

Your socks must be above your ankles. Is that understood?

-Mm-hm.

-Is that understood?

-Yes, Sister.

Imagine what we're going to look like with no make-up on

and these stupid uniforms.

It wasn't long before Maisie and Alice were looking angelic.

-You look like dinner ladies.

-I know!

Why? What's the joy?

But when it came to uniform upsets, it was Charlie

and Aidan who took the number one spot.

I am NOT wearing a tie. And I'm not wearing a jumper.

Do we have to wear them?

Well, I'm refusing.

While Aidan decided to grin and bear it...

You look like a nerd!

.serial rule breaker Charlie had other ideas.

What about you, my friend?

-I'm not wearing it.

-Why? Why?

-So talk to me, tell me the reasons.

-I'm not talking to you.

Well, look in the mirror and talk to yourself, then. Anyway,

I can't keep the school waiting, so we'll carry on.

Charlie. What is so bad about ties?

It wasn't the tie, it was just the colour. I hate maroon.

It's just rank. And I've never worn a tie in my life before.

What changed your mind?

I kind of didn't want to leave Aiden on his own to do the whole week.

It was kind of harsh.

Ibbi and Keziah, you were at the military academy.

-Ibbi, you were saying you didn't like the uniform.

-No.

I thought to myself it was a little bit embarrassing.

It just looks like, really smart and sophisticated compared to ours,

which was just casual.

-A bit like cricket players.

-Or old men.

-Yeah.

Maisie and Alice, while we were watching the film

I heard someone say that you looked like dinner ladies.

Who said that they looked like dinner ladies? Charlie.

I kind of like, got used to it and I thought it was kind of cute.

What was it like not having your make-up on all the time?

It felt like... I did actually quite like the feel of it

because I hate the feel of the make-up on my face, I like fresh.

Yes, I like that it makes you feel clean.

But you're back to wearing it again.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

If you're sent to an Extreme School you're probably going to

-encounter a strict teacher or two. Am I right, guys?

-Yeah.

-But did you really have any idea how strict?

-No.

Maisie and Alice had the tough but fair Sister Rufina

as their school principal in St Lucia.

I do not tolerate students being disrespectful.

And they were lost for words when she lay down the school rules.

I'm noticing that you're wearing make-up.

You have mascara, lipstick, eye shadow, nail polish.

So all this will have to be cleared out.

You wear uniforms, and there's no talking during class time.

-Are you with me?

-Yes, Sister.

Charlie and Aidan had double the trouble at The Bishop's School

in India.

With the no-nonsense principal Mr Freese...

The key rules here - one is respect. The other is obedience.

And the strict headmaster Mr Edwin.

They expected you to be at assembly this morning.

It's not going to be acceptable if you are going to miss the assembly.

I hope I've got myself clear.

And that's the last warning you're going to get, both of you.

Brandon and Shane had the cool and calm Mr Kim in South Korea.

Who was very clear when it came to the school rules.

You must not miss any of the classes in your timetable.

Self-study is compulsory.

You have to do it, until 8:30pm.

-You finished at 8:30?

-9:30.

Cadets! Ready. Step. Move. Ready. Step.

But there was one teacher that put all the others in the shade -

Chicago's very own First Sergeant Powell.

Battalion...halt!

He was scary!

Sergeant Major, are these cadets prepared?

Whoa! Look at this. My, my, my.

No talking. No moving.

-Who told you to put that sweater on, cadet?

-Myself.

OK, you're going to do push-ups. So guess what, remove your beret.

Straighten up, there you go. Now, you go down...

There you go! Outstanding.

One, sir. Two, sir. Three, sir...

When he came around the corner I was sweating.

His chest was puffed out and he has a deep voice.

Keziah, what did you think of the discipline?

I liked it quite a lot because it shows authority

and shows who you should listen to and who you should respect.

Brandon and Shane, do you appreciate your teachers more or less?

I treat them with more respect

because I realise that they don't really

ask for much compared to the Korean teachers.

They could ask for a lot more.

We realise how annoying it actually is when kids don't listen.

I do respect them once I realise that they're just doing their job.

We all know that you weren't big fans of school in the UK, and let's

be honest, none of you would have won the best behaved pupil award.

But, did enrolling at one of the world's strictest schools

make you see education differently?

Brandon and Shane's stint at a top gaming company in Seoul

gave them a new perspective on their education.

Crytek is one of the world's largest and finest video games developers

in the world, so today I will give you a chance to make your own game.

You need to come up with a title and a game story for your own game.

How about here?

When I am older I could consider being a gamesman with Yohan.

Maisie and Alice got a taste of manual labour

in a St Lucian banana plantation.

Let's go.

And it definitely got them thinking.

My brother is a doctor, my sister is a teacher

and be working here is so hard, it is worth going to school.

I don't think I could do this as a job as, like, a lifetime.

Ibbi had his reality check

when he hung out with the school's star football player in Chicago.

We want to play some football, some American football.

For some of the kids, it is a very rough environment

where they come from.

They have to encounter gangs day in and day out.

But they come to the school to achieve better things.

I will try and take the discipline that they have over here,

and take it to school back in my homeland in England.

-Hello.

-Welcome to the Chicago Police Academy.

Keziah went on a crash course with the police.

You just cuffed your first cooperative subject.

And learned a few home truths about her dream job.

-Do you still want to be a police officer?

-Yes.

How you doing in school?

I am not always good, I am a bit over energetic and talkative.

You have to get your act together in school.

She said that if I am not good in school then

I can't really be a police officer.

It was a bumpy road for Charlie and Aidan on a trip to Pune city centre.

Oh, my Lord!

But the boys were more shaken up by what they saw when they arrived.

Why are there so many kids on the streets?

Most of these kids, they've got no schools.

How much money do people earn around here?

In pounds, if you ask me, it would be something like £70-£80 per month.

-A month?

-A month.

It is a shock, you see so many little kids out here with

nothing and they have got a really hard life out here.

It was horrible, because you have three-year-olds begging for money

and back in England you don't actually have that.

People take loads of stuff for granted so it was actually touching.

Brandon and Shane, that games company looked pretty cool.

When I was watching them work it made me

feel like if I worked hard I could have a good job like they did.

And Maisie and Alice, you worked in the plantation.

It made us realise that we were just messing around

and it's not worth it.

I would not want to grow up and finish school

and wish that I had stuck in and worked harder.

It wasn't just the tough schedules

and no-nonsense teachers you had to deal with at Extreme School,

you all faced a final challenge which pushed you all to the limit.

I can hardly watch!

Keziah and Ibbi's final challenge in Chicago was to perform

complex military drill routine in front of the entire academy.

Let's have our cadets come forward.

Their success relied on teamwork.

If one of them made the wrong move they would both fail.

This concludes the drill sequence.

APPLAUSE

I am glad that I managed to overcome it and that I didn't quit.

I am happy I completed the drill but I am a little bit sad

because I know my time here is coming to an end.

In Korea, the Welsh boys were set the task of giving

a presentation about their home country.

If you mess up a little bit just carry on.

The audience was their high achieving classmates,

so they had to pull out all the stops.

We both live in Wales, which is attached to England.

We live in a little city, Swansea City. This is our national flag.

Hwyl fawr.

ALL: Hwyl fawr.

That means "goodbye" in Welsh.

APPLAUSE

That was good. One more time.

APPLAUSE

This has definitely been one of the best experiences in my life.

The convent girls' challenge was to teach a group

of nine-year-old kids a poem they would perform together

in an end of week show.

The activity this afternoon is one that you can expect to

be of a very high standard.

It was a sell-out crowd, and taking a front seat was

her Excellency the Governor-General of St Lucia.

APPLAUSE

I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high over vales and hills.

And then with heart my pleasure fills...

And then with pleasure my heart fills,

and dances with the daffodils.

APPLAUSE

-Congratulations, you did a good job. Really, really good.

-Thank you.

I will concentrate much more on lessons because I have

realised how much you need an education to be able to get by

in life and get a job and be able to have the things that you really want.

Aidan and Charlie's final challenge in India was to teach

a class of 52 junior kids about the Kings and Queens of England.

Hello!

-I am King Charlie.

-I am King Aidan.

The boys were in for a rough ride...

-Calm down!

-Silence!

Three, two, one, silence!

..but managed to win over the class with a fun-packed lesson.

Go!

CHEERING AND SHOUTING

I have had my taste of being a teacher.

It is harder than what I expected.

So, to be fair,

I have got to give some of my teachers at home some credit.

They signed up to Extreme School

because they were all in need of an education wake-up call.

But did any of them do enough to graduate?

I headed back to all four UK schools

to deliver the Extreme School results.

In front of a packed assembly, it was time to find out

if it had all been worth it.

Keziah and Ibbi, I have in my hand your school report sent

direct from Colonel Harris in Chicago.

From Sister Rufina in St Lucia.

Mr Freese at the Bishop School in India.

Principal Ho in South Korea. Let's see what it says.

They both struggled to control their bickering

when they were outside the classroom.

Maisie...struggled initially with her etiquette.

Alice was reluctant to speak in front of the school at first.

Charlie got off to a very bad start.

Aidan was also in trouble when he was led astray.

Brandon, Shane, failed to impress in a grammar test.

-CROWD:

-Ooooh!

But at the end of the week,

they pulled together to complete a complex military drill.

Showed the ability to behave like distinguished young ladies.

Impressed when it came to the challenge at the end of the week.

Both of you showed real strength of character,

which means...

Congratulations, you have passed your Extreme School test!

APPLAUSE

We have got your Extreme School trophies as well. Well done again.

APPLAUSE

A few close calls.

But it was a clean sweep of Extreme School graduates.

But how long would the good behaviour last back home?

Let's see if any of them have managed to keep up the good work.

Macbeth has kind of pushed it away. What do you think?

He is basically saying that there is nothing going on, it is

just a dream.

Excellent. OK.

I am not running around us much.

I am knuckling down and understanding more.

And being a bit more mature.

I do think Keziah is more disciplined.

Certainly the way she is around the building suggests

she is more sensible.

She is more thoughtful about the way she responds to things.

A big change.

Since I have come back to the UK I care about my work more,

I have more discipline.

Some of my teachers have realised

that I have made a change for the good.

Since Ibbi's return from America he is a lot less argumentative.

There is no shouting across the room.

Ibbi's improvements have been superb. Him and Keziah

seem like different students.

So if 15 pound is one part, how much is three parts going to be?

Um...45.

That's right, 3 x 15.

I am listening to the teachers now

and not messing around and I'm getting better results.

I am really pleased to see Shane's positive change in behaviour, I am

pleased to see the way he is wanting to achieve and wanting to succeed.

I think he is working flat out at the moment.

The thing I have changed most is probably how much I work,

because I work a lot harder and it just made me

realise that I need to work hard in school.

Instead of just messing around all the time.

Since being back, Brandon has followed the rules,

and I think he has gained a lot from his experience.

-That would be Y = 2X + 1.

-Very good.

I am enjoying school much more than I did before, because I have been

working harder in my classes and getting on better with the teachers

and just being more respectful towards them and it is much better.

Maisie's attitude has improved, attitude to learning.

She is now showing a lot of respect to her teachers

and I believe learning much more in the lessons because of that.

That is lovely. Absolutely fine. Nicely done.

Going to St Lucia made us realise that I want to be smart

and get good grades and stuff.

So that in the future I can get a good job.

I have realised that since I got back I have been saying

"please" and "thank you" after everything.

Alice is participating much more in lessons since she returned

from St Lucia, and she seems to appreciate

the opportunities she has at this school.

-Can you help me, sir?

-Yeah. What is the question?

-What does that mean?

I saw in India all of the children were very polite

to their teachers and I thought, I will come back and do that

and I've embraced it and took it with me instead of leaving it there.

Since I was two years old watching football on the TV I always dreamed

of being a footballer playing alongside my hero, David Beckham.

Round of applause, please, for Aidan.

APPLAUSE

My biggest improvement is probably getting on with my work,

treasuring my education more.

I'm actually getting along with a lot of things now.

I am delighted to see the changes in these boys.

We were very concerned for Charlie

and for Aiden as to what the future might hold for them.

But they now understand where education can take them

and how, as Aidan says, how it should be treasured.

It's a success for the class of 2013, Extreme School graduates!

Top marks all round. Let's hope you can keep up the good work. Cheese!

Chicago definitely opened my eyes about education.

I look back at Korea like an experience of a lifetime.

Extreme School was a tough time but it is something I will never forget.

It has been really good and I will remember it for the rest of my life.

I have got along with Ibbi a lot better haven't I, Ibbi? Haven't I?

-Aww, cutie pie!

-Stop, man! What's that about?

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