This article is a tribute to the Popperian educationist Tyrrell Burgess, who died earlier this year. Burgess is identified as the originator of an approach to the curriculum whereby students are helped to formulate problems, and propose and test solutions. This approach was first developed at the School for Independent Study at North East London Polytechnic. As a doctoral student of Burgess, the article' s author adapted the approach in her primary school teaching. She revisits Burgess' s ironic critique of the Education Reform Act 1988, and outlines some consequences of this legislation for learning in schools and teaching in higher education.