We all have memories of our own schooling, often happy - and sometimes not. In a recent exchange of emails I received a memory that further encourages me to seek change.

In grade two, Jacqui had watched on as a fellow student was sprayed with room deodoriser. This boy had always been teased for being a bit unclean, but his background was European, where bathing every day wasn't a social requirement, and he often wore the same clothes two days in a row. While his classmates often teased and bullied him, it wasn't his classmates that sprayed him with room deodoriser - it was his teacher.

The authoritarian model of education that most of us grew up and that still has a healthy existence in schools today, often lacks the compassion and common sense required to deliver fair and rational discipline and assistance to students - and teachers. In my view, the sooner we embrace a cooperative change within our school structures - the better!