One famous case involved two pupils who had left 40 death threats on a teacher’s telephone answering machine. After being expelled by the headteacher, they were readmitted on appeal. It is extreme cases such as this, and the fact that a third of newly qualified teachers are leaving the profession after three years, that have prompted the change of heart. —James McLeod —Bollocks to That, Sir [Misbehaving British Schoolboys] (Prospect)

I caught myself momentarily feeling relieved that it’s not just the US educational system that’s shot. Then I asked myself, what the hell was that emotion supposed to mean?