Chef's Protege and UK colleges ?

Hey, I've just watched Chef's Protege and has having fun watching the chef's pick their cooks from schools but started to wonder about their knives and knife skills. I liked the program cause I could yell at the screen for a bit and stare open mouthed for a while, good craic. But as I watched further I saw them using the smallest knives possible to try to do the task and always using those pastry spatulas to work with. I even saw the elusive 'holy' knife being used. (i.e. knife with holes drilled through it for alien research I think)

So the question is.. Is this a common practice ? i.e. using really small knives and the pastry deal. I know a spat is a spat until it's in your hands. I myself, would rather have used a fish spat to make sure it doesn't fall on the ground. And at one point I swear I saw a butter knife being used to cut veges.

I have to admit that the very last show was my favorite. Great chefs sitting down to a meal and you can tell who is the badass in the row.