Lewis Page seems to think that there is no harm in allowing children to post spiteful personal attacks anonymously on public web sites like RateMyTeachers.

Presumably he'll have no problem if I set up a web site called RateMyRegHack, and then write something vicious and inaccurate about his appearance, sexual proclivities or journalistic abilities under a false name?

"15 per cent had received threatening texts"

Why on earth are teachers giving out their mobile numbers to students?

Its not so long since i was at school and mobile phones were prevalent but our teachers we not sharing their numbers with us.

... When we'd write "Waz Chanks" as our super secret code on the desks about Charles (deleted), deputy beak.

Still, if it's being done with phones and the internet, the problem is obviously phones and the internet, not an increasingly impersonal and irrelevant educational system, no no no....

Being the other half of a Teacher I find your comment about over sensitive a bit harsh, just recently my wife received the following email

**************

Sent: Mon, 19 Mar 2007 20:44:42 +0000

Subject: N/A

u smelly breathed twat i hope you die u slag i am going to shoot you u slag u droopy eyed wrinkly old road kill. In know were you keep your horse and i am going to shave it bold and cut its ears of. Thank you

**********

Now if this had happened in industry the person who had done it would be fired and criminal proceedings would follow, what has happened to the lovely little student that sent that ..... nothing they still sit in her class and she has to see them every day.

To make it worse another female member of staff had a threat of rape sen tto her via email, still because they "cant prove it", the child remains in school.

It has been my experience that it always comes as a painful shock to teachers when they find out that the universe doesn't share their inordinately high opinion of themselves.

Free speech ? How very dare they ?

Why someone might say something someone doesn't want to hear.

Fully grown adults getting upset by "negative, hurtful comments" posted by schoolchildren on a website? Gimme a break FFS

Perhaps training to be a nursery school teacher would have been a wiser career choice.....

Why don't the teachers retaliate by creating a ratemypupils website where they can (anonymously) slag off their students.

I can see how teachers might want to help their students by being available at the end of a phone line for them, but surely anyone who has been a teacher for more than one day would realise there is a good chance of getting abusive messages, which is a solid reason for not publicising their number.

I don't care who you are or where you work. Everyone is entitled to live in peace without being verbally attacked. Do people need to have thicker skins? Yes. Is this a good thing? Hell no.

This is not a matter of free speech. This is a matter of someone being attacked and abused. Why in the name of all that is holy would *anyone* think that this is ok?

"u smelly breathed twat ... &c."

The best way to reply to messages of this kind is either:

a) Ignore them

b) Reply to them in a tone of overweening superiority and condescension, thus:

Dear Idiot

Thank you for your opinions, which have been laughed at and subsequently discarded.

In answer to the points you raise:

1) Is that supposed to be an insult?

2) Your wish will eventually be granted as all people die, even you;

3) No. You aren't;

4) All road-kill is wrinkly, therefore this word is unnecesary to this, your most finely-honed thought;

5) Your final sentence should read "I know where you keep your horse and I am going to shave it bald and cut its ears off". Spelling aside, I would personally pay a very high price to see you attempt this feat. I'm sure the horse will be entertained for hours as you pursue it across its field in your futile attempts at shavery. Good luck, dimwit.

6) You're welcome.

Clearly this kind of reply will likely solicit an answer. My preferred method of dealing with said answers is simply to ignore them as this will confuse and annoy the perpetrator who, on the one hand has received a reply challenging him to do better, and on the other receives no acknowledgement whatsoever for his efforts. You could call it "training for real life" if you liked.