One of the key goals of Sir Jim Rose’s overhaul of the primary curriculum is a greater emphasis on life skills. But who would have thought that his plans would be taken to heart as far afield as Romania, where last week two primary pupils learnt a valuable lesson in petty theft.

After an exhaustive police search among local known criminals, police discovered that two boys, aged six and seven, entered the kindergarten after classes were finished and took some money, pencils and colouring books.

The six-year-old had stolen the entrance key from his teacher’s purse.

After returning later they spent three hours playing with the toys and rummaging around classrooms.

“What I didn’t understand was why they threw out in the rain about a dozen colouring and reading books. I reckon they wanted to get revenge on something,” said the head of the kindergarten, Lenusa Boubatran.

“My kid doesn’t really understand he did something bad,” said one of the mothers. The police said the children’s parents will be fined.

Arnold Schwarzenegger hopes to reprise his Kindergarten Cop role when they film the case.