RE broken arm jibe (LT, December 5). Having read this article I am absolutely perplexed at the treatment and punishment meted out to this teacher for an off-the-cuff remark.

Surely any right-thinking person will realise it was a figure of speech, is it any wonder we have a shortage of good teachers when they are being persecuted like this.

If anybody should apologise it is the pupil for not obeying the teacher, secondly the parents for allowing this to become an issue. They should have marched the child back into school and made her apologise to the teacher, therefore restoring the authority of the teacher. Who on earth are the General Teaching Council to say she won’t work in Blackburn with Darwen again. It is quangos like this that need to be eradicated from the system.

This matter could, and should, have been dealt with inhouse. Now the pupils can behave any way they like thanks to misguided so-called professionals.

When I was at school we knew the teacher was always right and would not dare question their authority, or else.

That’s the way it should be. It is time children knew where the line is drawn and parents should support the teachers and stop the tail wagging the dog. It seems that Mrs Astley is a teacher who won’t take any nonsense. Sadly she has been undermined by the politically- correct clowns.

CHRIS REID, English Democrats, Great Harwood.