A TORFAEN teacher went back to school to teach 21st century children the lessons he learnt in the 1960s.

Maurice Pirotte, deputy head of Llantarnam school in Cwmbran, features in the Channel 4 reality television show That'll Teach 'Em Too.

In the series he teaches pupils a 1960s secondary modern curriculum.

Mr Pirotte, 57, said: "These are 21st century, streetwise, cosmopolitan children being given a dose of education they aren't used to."

Top performing pupils went to grammar school, but those deemed less academically able were sent to the secondary modern.

Mr Pirotte was himself a product of the system, having attended Llansamlet Secondary Modern in Swansea from 1958 to 1962.

"My experiences of secondary modern education were very positive.

"We all went there as failures for failing the awful 11-plus exams. But the teachers knew everyone and were determined to give us a basic education.

"Secondary modern teachers were caring and put in place the qualities of care that we have in 21st century teachers."

He said his education inspired him to become a teacher.

"If I hadn't gone to my secondary modern I wouldn't be in this job now," said Mr Pirotte.

On the show he taught life sciences to pupils who were predicted to get Ds and Es at their GCSEs.

"The producers wanted us to teach children the subjects via the medium of the techniques that were used in the 1960s," said Mr Pirotte.

"I could only teach the way I teach now but there was more of an emphasis on discipline.

"These were the days when the teacher said 'do it' and you did it. In those days it was all black and white and there was never any question when a teacher told a pupil to do something."

For some pupils the show was a cultural shock, and Mr Pirotte often had run-ins with pupils.

"We caught two boys truanting and when we asked them why they were doing it they said 'we don't do Mondays'.

But it was immediately apparent to them that we weren't going to stand for it."

The four-week filming was an eye-opener for Mr Pirotte, who said the lessons he learnt and taught still have a place in today's education system.

"I personally was surprised that some of the old teaching methods and how we dealt with the children was so effective."