I was amazed to read the advice on how to stop a girl humming in class. The tips were useful but a fundamental point was missing: simply telling the pupil that her behaviour is unacceptable.

Establishing clear rules for the child would be much more helpful than “finding out about their social background or talking to parents”. By assuming that a child has problems we are looking for excuses instead of guiding them. If some parents don’t tell children how to behave and we don’t either, no wonder some do exactly as they please.

In my experience, many students moving from school to further education are simply not aware of appropriate conduct. We assume school prepares them for that.

Krystyna Vargas, Lecturer, College of North West London.