IT appears that there is little or no respect left in the world today. I work as a teacher in a local primary school and every day myself and my colleagues are faced with a torrent of abuse.

We have endured swearing, name calling, pushing and general non compliance with simple rules that have been put in place for the safety of everyone, both adults and children.

I am now into my third year of teaching. Why did I choose to teach? The reason is simple -- because I felt that I could possibly make a difference, no matter how small, to others' lives.

My colleagues feel exactly the same way. Why should we work every waking hour to thoroughly plan, teach, mark, assess and generally perform paper exercises to keep the government happy? Especially when my colleagues and myself are presented with foul language and zero respect on a daily basis.

What is the point in attempting to teach children right from wrong by setting an example, when day after day it is often their own parents who are the ones who are unable to follow simple requests for the safety of their own children?

Why should we remain in a profession, already demoralised by wave after wave of government initiatives, when every day during the last fortnight at least one member of our staff has had to deal with an unreasonable and aggressive parent, using foul language directly at them, in front of the children, and genuinely making many of us fear for our personal safety?

The answer is simple. We remain in the profession for the children we teach. It took me several years to fully qualify as a teacher, yet it takes little more than nine months to become a parent.

When you become a parent, you become a parent for life. The government expects, and receives, the highest standards from teachers, and rightly so. It is about time the same high standards were forthcoming from the parents of the children we teach.

Name and address supplied.