Give them help not punishment

3:54pm Wednesday 22nd August 2001

I found it hard to digest so many exaggerations in 10 paragraphs as we were served by Rupert Smythe in the News Shopper.

To start with, no one should be doing any serious writing when “seething with rage”. Then phrases like “the loony left” suggest he is writing with undue prejudice.

The cases over recent months where teachers have lost their jobs because of excessive of discipline do not get well considered judgement if we presume the snivelling child is so young he “cries into his milk”.

I find that for one or two examples of supermarket misbehaviour you see seven or eight youngsters quite enjoying the shopping trip.

When the young see we are genuinely helping them with their growing up we do not need corporal punishment in the classroom.

Margaret Johnson

Aberdeen Terrace

SE3