AS a primary school governor I am only too aware of what teachers face on a daily basis when dealing with challenging behaviour. I believe that we need parents, teachers and society to work together to create safe and harmonious schools.

While I support the abolition of corporal punishment it was a deterrent for many of us. As a society to date we have failed to develop a civilised deterrent and by default leave our teachers helpless in dealing with challenging behaviour.

This, I believe, is further compounded by the current system of schools having no say in who attends their school with decisions on admissions and appeals being taken by local education departments. No reference is made to the school’s capacity or the numbers of existing pupils with challenging behaviour.

I therefore ask myself, firstly, is our inclusive society, which is desirable in our modern world, adding to the problems for teachers? Secondly, do we not have a responsibility as society to ensure that every pupil has the best possible educational opportunities and, if so, should we be exclusive in certain circumstances to achieve this?

Tom Medhurst, Darlington.