THIS morning, my son of eight asked if “Pakistan” was a bad word. His mum replied: “No, it’s a country.”

Ten minutes later his headmaster rang to inform us that a white child’s parents had reported that my son had used the abbreviated word for a Pakistani person, and requested that we attend to discuss this matter.

My son was deeply concerned, upset and distraught. During the meeting, he broke down in tears on several occasions.

He told the head that he had said to two boys chasing him: “You are a Pakistan.”

Racist comments and swearing are not used in our family, otherwise he would have got the abbreviated word correct.

I believe that children as young as ours are innocent. Now I feel I must go against everything that I have tried to do as a decent parent and sit him down to explain the meanings of all of these taboo words, including swearing. This will protect him from the dangers of accidentally using them at school.

Do you have any guidance as to where I start if I must now pollute his innocent mind?

What is this world coming to when a headteacher suggests that an eight-year-old fully understands political correctness. – Name withheld, Durham City.