Corpun file 17291

Evening Telegraph, Dundee, 2 February 2006

Letters

Time to protect teachers

I READ with some dismay about the number of exclusion orders being issued to Dundee school children. One of the reasons given was abuse towards teachers.

I am of the old brigade and, although I do not like to hark back to the old days, I believe it is time to take drastic action to protect teachers.

I have never believed in using corporal punishment to try to make a child learn (the old saying is true, you can take a horse to water but you cannot make it drink).

However, corporal punishment did lead to good behaviour. Teachers are scared of the students, not only because of their size but because of the repercussions of punishing them.

I recall my days at the Stobbie. We had a very small maths teacher named "Wee Louie" after the Tele cartoon, but step out of line and he would punish you with the belt.

I did complain to my mother when I was belted for not knowing the answer, but if I was belted for disciplinary reasons, there was no way I would tell her for fear of another beating.

Kids are our future and they need to be shown the error of their ways. Expelling them is just playing right up their street. — John J. Smith MBE.