TEACHING was once a source of great personal pride for those who made it their profession. It also brought them respect in their communities. That was in the dim and distant past, before the world, or our part of it, went completely barmy.

Nowadays, teachers must have difficulty clinging to the belief that they can make a difference to the lives of youngsters from infant to late teens, despite much evidence to the contrary, with their classroom authority all but completely eroded by political correctness.

I heard recently about a "Brit" who had accepted a teaching post in Japan. His observations are a savage indictment of the differences in our culture and those in the land of the Rising Sun. Good manners, politeness and respect were behaviour patterns he noticed immediately. But the most glaring discrepancy surfaced in the classroom, where all his students were attentive, unfailingly well-behaved and anxious to learn.

I recounted his experiences to a teacher friend of mine and asked for his reaction. The views he expressed went a long way towards explaining the problems and frustrations endured by him and his colleagues, exacerbated by the policies of the Blair government.

According to him, 90 per cent of pupils in British schools want to learn; the other 10 per cent are there to cause trouble. They have a nihilistic attitude, which makes their presence in a "normal" educational environment a nightmare for teachers and disruptive for other students. "Future ASBOs" was how my friend described them, adding that closing special schools, and Mr Blair's insistence that problem children had to be assimilated into mainstream education, had created a very difficult situation for his profession, many disillusioned to the point of quitting.

I have written before of how only through learning something of the culture of other countries can you become aware of the strengths, and shortcomings, of your own. At the end of the 1970s, I was among a party of British tourists in the People's Republic of China. Talk about an eye-opener. I was astonished to see that farming on land between Hong Kong and mainland China was done using very primitive methods, involving oxen and hand-operated ploughs.

There were very few vehicles anywhere with the exception of our coach, and I can't remember seeing tarmacadam on any road surface. But during the ensuing 28 or so years, China has become one of the most industrialised and developed nations in the world, with a vibrant, booming economy.

How has it happened? Well, I recall a conversation with the interpreter assigned to my segment of the tourist party. She spoke perfect English and told me that the state decided who did what in China. From infancy, individuals were assessed for academic, athletic, artistic, and other qualities. The state then made sure they developed along those lines. Everyone had a job, whether it be civil or military. They would no doubt conclude that our benefits system produces an "ASBO underclass", which considers education unnecessary and state handouts a divine right.

Perhaps we should send Mr Blair and his education minister on a fact-finding mission to China, or is it too late for that?