What concerns you about our education system?

"Our Children, Tested to Destruction" screamed the headline in The Independent.

Underneath, a sub-heading told us Britain's primary schools "are the most high-pressured in the world". The report itself compared Britain unfavourably to other countries and suggests youngsters are inflicted upon an over-rigid, results-driven curriculum at much too early an age.

Professionally - and as a parent myself - this is of enormous concern. Faced with reports such as this, it's difficult not to see sense in the almost diametrically opposite environment created within a Steiner school.

I've had a look around one - the Elmfield Rudolf Steiner School in Stourbridge - and it does indeed seem idyllic. But is it necessarily right for all pupils? Can the state education system - built up over all these years - have got it all so horribly wrong? Or is this latest fuss just another case of agenda-led "experts" having their say.

For it is a fact that almost everyone who speaks out about education - and there is a whole industry of them - is fuelled by a certain agenda.

In the case of the academics behind this report, it may be simply to get recognition for making a contribution to the debates that constantly rage round education.

It is, of course, these myriad views and opinions relating to the emotionally-charged topic of educating tomorrow's generation that makes it such a fascinating field to report on.

And it's exactly the views and thoughts of those who are associated with it that I hope will feed into this newly-launched blog focusing on the ups and downs of our education system.

In the the old days, getting behind the scenes in education was something of a challenge. There are many official organisations to speak to a journalist - unions, local government representatives, academics, education experts and media-friendly headteachers.

Their views and opinions remain invaluable. But the beauty of this digital age we are now in is the window it opens on to a whole new world view. I hope this blog can become a portal or even a dumping ground for anyone who has something to say about education but does not normally have a channel though which to say it.

Parents, anyone who works at the school chalk-face, pupils and students at colleges and universities - I'd love to hear what you have to say. What's bugging you, getting on your nerves, exciting and motivating you. The gossip and untold stories that previously have never seen the light of day.

Whether you're happy to be named or would rather remain anonymous, I hope you'll check out this blog from time to time and respond to some of the topics and questions it will be posing.

Or better still, start a debate of your own - and perhaps even set the agenda! As well as getting it off your chest, there's also always the possibility that we may be able to do something about it.