Schools ought to insist upon good manners

SIR – I was appalled to read Lee Battersby’s letter (September 4) about his partner’s daughter being threatened with the loss of her job as a canteen assistant simply for correcting the bad manners of some of the pupils she serves who did not say “Thank you”.

Children need to be told what is, and is not, acceptable behaviour. In this case, the catering assistant was doing society a favour.

Bagworth, Leicestershire

SIR – I was saddened by Mr Battersby’s letter. Surely the person threatening to sack the catering assistant should be castigated for attempting to undermine social etiquette.

Haughton, Staffordshire

SIR – On what grounds could it be acceptable even to think about giving children the choice of saying “Thank you” or not when accepting the food offered to them?

Rather than being threatened with the sack, the unfortunate assistant

should be commended for trying to pass on the good manners her parents taught her to children who obviously know no better.

Montacute, Somerset

SIR – If a teacher at the school greets the children with “Good morning” at the start of the day, do the children have the option of being rude and not responding?

My grandfather was a headmaster, and his school motto was “Manners maketh man”. What a shame this does not still apply today.

Meols, Wirral

SIR – I work as a ward manager on a very busy surgical ward at a London hospital. I often delicately remind patients that there are a couple of words that are greatly underused: “Please” and “Thank you”.

I always get the response I have aimed for and they don’t forget the next time.

London E2

Philip Crompton

Peter Haddock

Dante Mansi

Anne Wheaton

Mary Moore