[BBKing]

Apparently, not only do parents have the right to restrain their children, teachers do as well, when acting in loco parentis. Hence my suggestion to define teacher's *current* legal rights properly and not rely on rumours about 'teachers can't touch pupils' which aren't strictly true. Perhaps a lawyer in each school might be an idea, before heaping another load of duplicate legislation on everyone?

Actually, some of the 'treating kids with kid gloves' cases come from instructions and advice post-Soham, that children should always be believed in case you miss another Huntley, which means that teachers are extremely frightened of going to court if a child takes a dislike to them and makes something up.

Given the likelihood of children not actually telling the truth against the likelihood of another child murderer appearing this sounds logically dubious. Tabloid-driven, of course.