Could Do Better

British educational values remain robust if slightly diluted in Singapore, where the great pedagogical sport of flagellation is to be reintroduced. The pastime will only be practised upon male schoolboys who bully others, and only as a "last resort." Both conditions betray a certain post-imperialistic lowering of standards: true Britishness would never reserve corporal punishment to the last resort, and would not regard bullying as punishable at all, except possibly in cases where the victim was bringing in higher fees than the pupil with the leadership qualities.