My words will never do justice to the horror of recent days...
Gary

I hear that there is a shortage of teachers here in the UK. Well frankly I am not surprised. The government is saying that they must review the teachers working conditions, that they must try to lessen the load of paperwork, that they must examine the pay and benefits. All this should encourage people to become teachers and for existing teachers to stay. This is all well and good, but does anyone in the government have the courage to really say what the real problem is? I doubt it. So what is the real problem I hear you cry. It is this... Today teachers have no authority over the children and they live in fear of prosecution for offences against a pupil. This (and previous governments) have systemically removed the authority of adults to supervise, control and raise children. It started with schools and is now progressing into the home. Soon, a day will come when parents will be afraid to discipline their children for fear of a visit by the police. There has been a breakdown of authority in the family, in the home, in school and in society. Since when does a 10 year old child know better than the adult supervising them? Since when does a child have the authority to lord threats of prosecution over a parent or teacher. The whole moral system of authority is being turn upside down.

Before I hear you cry foul, I am aware that there must be protection for children against cruelty and abuse, but today I heard that a nursery worker is not allowed to put a plaster on a child's finger without express permission from the parents as it counts as assault. How can a plaster put over a cut or grazed finger be assault!

I was recently told a story of a teacher who was was summonsed to court accused of assault after spilling fruit juice on a pupil. By all accounts (excepts for the boys) it was an accident but she was accused of deliberately pouring tangerine juice over the boy, causing him "mental anguish". She was accused of assault. I am no lawyer, but an accidently spillage of juice is not assault.

How can we be expected to raise our children at home or at school when the authority of parents and teachers has been removed and instead the children have authority over the adults!