And with teachers working in our schools seemingly under more pressure and scrutiny than ever before, perhaps it's time we lay off them a little.

Barely a week goes by without a media commentator suggesting a new topic be added to the curriculum - be it driver training, swimming lessons or even self-defence.

At the same time we would like to see greater rigour in the curriculum in the traditional fields of maths, English and science to improve our standing on the world's academic league tables.

And we would like to see greater use of technology in the classroom while also wanting our kids to spend less time on screens. Got all that?

It must be because we've all been to school that we all feel so comfortable offering our two cents' worth on how it could be done better, and it's true that schools encourage parents to become actively involved in their children's learning. But with all that going on, it's a wonder anything gets down at school - and yet, there is so much.

Just this week the Western Advocate has reported the efforts of a number of Bathurst schools and students, and all have been great stories.

There were the students from Denison College who signed up to support Meals On Wheels; the Carenne kids who performed a random act of kindness to brighten the day at Bathurst Uniting Safe Space; Kelso High's merino team; and National Science Week activities at St Stanislaus' College.

But perhaps the best story of all was the report on Bathurst High's aquaculture team playing a leading role in replenishing the state's brook trout stocks that had been wiped out by a long, hot summer.

We all have ideas about how schools could be working better, but the evidence is they are doing a pretty good job already.