With pupils like that, it came as a relief to read an impassioned defence of human cloning in London’s freesheet Metro on Tuesday. “Think of the benefits,” enthused reader Tim Boardman, “We could send the clones to all the dangerous, underfunded, thankless tasks no-one else wants to do. I see an answer to the teacher shortage crisis!” They might clone some well-behaved, polite students while they are at it.