Years after Pink Floyd called for “no dark sarcasm in the classroom” a senior teacher is calling for it to be reinstated as a teaching tool.
Oscar Wilde described sarcasm as the lowest form of wit but the highest form of intelligence. Researchers recently suggested that it could unleash creativity and the head of science at a leading independent school says it should be adopted for this reason.
Sarcasm was once regularly used as a way of controlling unruly children but has fallen out of favour in teaching practice and the excoriating use of wit has been frowned upon.
Emily Seeber, head of sciences at Bedales school in Hampshire, said teachers should be encouraged to use sarcasm. She wrote in the Times Educational Supplement: “I…