I NOTE with interest Andrew Denholm's article on the "cuddle culture" ("School ‘cuddle culture’ blamed for indiscipline", The Herald, May 17),

To clarify the procedures for those not in the profession and to assist understanding of teachers' frustration if not exasperation, this is what is laughingly referred to as "Assertive Discipline"; 1-6 indicate a disruption to the lesson and the measures taken:

1. An admonishment. Teacher required to say: “I need you to..."

2. Second admonishment. Teacher repeats.

3. Third admonishment. Teacher, "Are you choosing not to ..."

4. Five-minute time-out.

5. 10-minute time-out.

6. Behaviour Report and discussion ... the so-called "restorative".

Analysis: a game of five levels was established. The point of a game is to win. Children are experts at games and in this particular game, the disruptive pupil always wins.

Explanation: In the mind of the disruptive pupil, steps 4 and 5 are a reward. Having been given five minutes out of the lesson he/she will disrupt again to get the 10-minute time-out. The intelligent disruptive pupil will stop short of receiving the Behaviour Report, that is any written evidence of class disruption and just perhaps, an instruction to go to a higher authority, for example Year Head/Assistant Head.

Therefore one pupil can have disruptions with no real consequences.

The lack of a) a written report and b) the compulsion to keep the pupil in class (inclusion) results in a) no written evidence: no problem; b) to those further up the food chain: not their problem.

Whoever decided upon the implementation of this behaviour management strategy either did not know, or did not care about the consequences to the teacher and the lack of consequences to the pupil. As long as evidence/data pertaining to disruption suggests a productive classroom environment, indiscipline does not exist, whether it be as a result of delinquent behaviour or pupils not engaging with aspects of the curriculum. Failure of course, in this regard, would be explained by a teacher's poor classroom management skills not the conditions under which a teacher is expected to conduct the lesson.

This erosion of teacher authority and subsequently morale, is but one reason why thousands have departed the profession.

Maureen McGarry-O'Hanlon, Balloch.

Tongue twister

I’M intrigued by the thought that solving cryptic crosswords should improve your mental state and help prevent dementia ("Healthy brains are only one benefit for crossword-solvers", The Herald, May 17). More than 30 years ago I put exactly that proposition to Professor Zaved Katchachurian of the US Institutes of Health and Chief of the US Institute of Aging. He had just chaired a meeting of leaders in Alzheimer’s disease research (I was the secretary and reporter). I said that I tried to solve the Herald cryptic puzzle every day and told him about my efforts with the Wee Stinker.

He asked if the puzzle was in my native language. I had to admit that English was my only tongue (apart from Weegie). If I wanted to avoid dementia, he replied, I should learn another one and do puzzles in it. Ah well...

Dr Tom Smith, Girvan.

Jobs for the boys?

I WAS interested to note from the publishing of young Archie Mounbatten Windsor’s birth certificate on the BBC News website that the occupations of the wean’s father and mother are recorded as being Prince and Princess of the United Kingdom. I may be mistaken, however I do not recall the careers advisors at Camphill High School in Paisley mentioning such occupations as possibilities for the boys and girls preparing to leave school in 1973.

Alastair Patrick, Paisley