WHETHER or not you enjoyed your time at school depends on a number of factors.

They might include: how much you liked lessons, how you coped with discipline, or how you were treated by your fellow pupils.

All of these elements are crucial.

But probably most important is the culture of the school and how you were treated by the teaching staff.

It is not an easy task to combine having patience, sharing knowledge, showing encouragement and respect for others, while being firm but fair when the need arises.

At the same time, teachers have to meet targets and deal with ever changing working practices.

It makes me smile when people of my generation (I was at primary and secondary school from 1971-82) get misty-eyed or have a good laugh about some aspects of their schooldays which would now probably land teachers behind bars.

Punishing primary children by smacking them with table tennis bats was a thing at my school, believe it or not.

(By the way, the teacher who did that was presented with a bat decorated with ribbon when he retired and an assembly full of 5-11 year olds cheered heartily and thought it hilarious.)

At secondary school it was routine to get a piece of chalk or a board duster (remember them?) thrown at you.

I once saw one lad being picked up off the ground by his throat and dangled in the air for several seconds - for pushing his way through a group of children.

Very Dickensian sounding conditions I know, but this was only 40 years ago.

Despite some of the cruel and unusual treatment dished out, I largely enjoyed my schooldays.

I forged great friendships, which I am lucky enough to still have to this day.

And most importantly, several teachers possessed the qualities I mentioned earlier on, which made learning a joy and left a lasting impression.

Thankfully, in the past four decades, that sort of barbaric treatment has hopefully been eradicated from schools.

Times have changed. Children of all abilities with a variety of needs are learning a much greater breadth of subjects, while being supported emotionally.

Four years ago, when I was editor, The Bolton News launched the Bolton School Awards.

They were an attempt to recognise the wonderful work carried out every day by teachers and support staff in the schools across our borough.

It was one of my favourite events of the year.

The stories from pupils who had triumphed over adversity and the teachers who had made a huge impact on children’s lives always lifted the heart.

This week, the 2018 ceremony was held at the Last Drop Village and it was brilliant to see how the event had grown and there was a record number of entries for the 15 awards on offer.

Teachers just do their job, enjoying the positive results of their work and pleased to see a young person learn and develop.

They don’t expect recognition for that. But when good education is so vital for an individual’s personal development and the future of this country, then of course those who make such a lasting positive impact deserve to be honoured and to feel appreciated.