Wasteful practice must be banned

SIR - We read that not all excluded pupils are being recorded as absent. Why does this not surprise me? After all, who wants to publicise their own shortcomings?

The most valuable lesson I learned at school was how to dodge a flying board rubber. Thankfully, this and other barbaric practices have been banned, but is exclusion the best replacement our educators can come up with, especially when parents of truants are being sent to prison for the same offence?

Incredibly, we are told by a spokesman it is the bright students that are usually excluded. Apparently they reach their boredom threshold very easily and become restless.

What an indictment for any teacher who cannot keep an intelligent student's mind active.

The thing that puzzles me is the tacit compliance of the headteacher and, to a lesser extent, that of the competent teachers. After all, they suffer in both the attendance figures and the loss of the bright students from their own classes.

I suggest Bradford Council should ban this wasteful practice immediately, and any teacher who cannot cope should find another job that suits their limited capabilities.

Eddie Bennett, Duchy Drive, Heaton.

My new label...

SIR - Contesting my admittedly uncompromising belief that capital punishment can never be restored in Britain, Alec Suchi writes (T&A, January 4) "only a fool speaks about the future with unqualified certainty". Well, in Joe E Brown's immortal words, "nobody's perfect" so I reckon I must accept Mr Suchi's judgement of me with good grace.

However, a more dispassionate observer might allow that my foolishness, so magisterially exposed by Mr Suchi, resulted from having the courage of my convictions, rather than any innate deficiency of intellect. But, oh dear! Having been branded an old fool, I have now laid myself open to the charge of being a moralising old fool to boot!

Peter Wilson, Thornhill Grove, Calverley.

Hardly good news

SIR - Malcolm Wood may be partly right in thinking that the expansion of the local airport is wonderful news for the West Yorkshire economy (T&A, January 10) but it is short-sighted and irresponsible for the rest of the world.

Aviation is one of the worst producers of climate-change gases and trebling the operations in the next 20 years is particularly selfish and puts at risk millions who will struggle with drought, floods and storms and die earlier than might have been the case.

We are close to the 'tipping point' when it will all get out of hand with runaway rises in temperature from the release of untold amounts of methane from the Arctic areas and ocean depths and carbon dioxide from rampaging forest fires. There will be no turning back.

Future historians will be shocked at the self interest of a species that put at risk the natural equilibrium for short-term gain.

Keith Thomson, Heights Lane, Bradford.

We can forgive...

SIR - I have neither the time nor opportunity to do the research that Gary Lorriman did on the question of hanging, but in reply to his latest letter (T&A, January 3) when he contends it is not in our human nature to forgive murderers and violent criminals as suggested by the Archbishop of Canterbury, I do have statistical ammunition to dispute his view.

Three cases spring to mind. Gordon Wilson, who in 1987 watched his daughter die in the Remembrance Day massacre in Enniskillen, and within hours stated that he forgave the terrorists, putting this forgiveness to practical use by working tirelessly for peace in Ireland until his death.

Nearer home, in 1988, Pastor Jo Pollard, of Baildon, who, after her husband was murdered in Hungary, not only forgave his murderers but visited them in prison.

Finally last July when, after the killing of Anthony Walker in Liverpool, his mother pledged to forgive his murderers.

I have read and heard about many other cases, and many of them are quoted as saying that after forgiving the perpetrators, they have felt freed from a great burden.

I am not sure whether in similar circumstances I could find it in my heart to forgive someone, but I like to think I could.

Gordon Dean, Long Lane, Harden.