DEAR EDITOR - I am simply a parent of children at a Middle School in Bromsgrove, who feels it is about time the county's education department and head teachers of schools woke up to unruly and disobedient children in our schools.

As a parent who has had a son bullied beyond extremes, and an 11-year-old daughter assaulted by boys of her own age, I have become somewhat of an expert on the mentality of the people whose trust we place our children's care in.

Is the world going mad? I ask myself, when yet again I have had to come off the telephone, after yet further incidents in school.

The same names keep cropping up. My concern is why nothing is being done about these children and why they seem to be protected from expulsion. Parents of these unruly children are either just as bad themselves or wear blinkers. In fact, where do we get some of the teachers from?

As a comment made by a head of year teacher when our daughter first got assaulted was: "It's not his fault, he doesn't know what he is doing wrong." What can I say?

Firstly, there are some parents who believe their children are innocent, regardless. Their children can do no wrong. Then there is the head teacher who wants to bury his head in the sand and accept no responsibility for incidents taking place and who says one thing and does another.

You have a governor - also a councillor, and complain that nothing is being done. They make an enquiry, don't listen to what you have said and then get it all wrong and refuse to discuss the matter further - so much for the Christian approach.

You complain to the head governor and it also falls on deaf ears.

Finally, the education department. You don't want to create waves - but what else can you do when no one listens?

Again - no one hardly wants to listen and you come off the telephone feeling a little deflated after being given the run-around, which brings it all back to the school.

What 'hold' has the education department got on keeping these problem children in schools?

Why do head teachers tolerate disobedient and unruly children?

These children get so used to being told off they become tolerant to it. Perhaps it is the norm for them but someone is going to have to deal with this problem - and soon.

Concerned parent,

Bromsgrove.

(name and address witheld)