the trouble between Right and Wrong.

Isn’t politics a funny old thing? Just when we think that all the MPs can think about is how they’ll be spending their summer vacations (rather than little pieces of trivia such as sorting out the Middle East) they come out with this little gem for the Department of Education. Its seem they feel schools shouldn’t teach the difference between right and wrong. Apparently these are absolute concepts which are now inappropriate. Ken Boston, chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, set out the proposals for changes in a letter to former education secretary Ruth Kelly. Under these new plans the National Curriculum will be changed to say teachers merely have to help pupils develop "secure values and beliefs".

Now I’m not going to get into that one, it’s a whole can of worms that when opened spew out all kinds of arguments about teachers being expected to be the moral role models for pupils and the diminishing responsibility of parents in children’s discipline and the secularisation of the curriculum and all kinds of things that can’t possibly be discussed in one entry – so I’ll stop.

I just think it’s rich, especially making a pronouncement like that, and then the next day telling children that copying essays off the internet is wrong, oh and submitting other people’s work in coursework is… um… wrong, and using modern technology to gain an advantage in exams is (you guessed it) wrong. I thought the concept of wrong was outdated?

They were discussing this topic on the Now Show on radio 4 on Friday and they mentioned the 10 Commandments. And so I thought I’d come up with a new set especially for the next academic year.

The Eleven Commandments
1) Thou shalt not have any gods before me – except maybe money, cause everybody needs money after all, oh and television if there’s anything good on.
2) Thou shalt not make any graven image. Although the ones that are already made are fine.
3) Thou shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain unless you soften it by saying something like Jeez or Gawd instead.
4) Keep the Sabbath day holy if there’s nothing better to do on it.
5) Honour your father and your mother so long as they do what you want – if not then throw a tantrum at every opportunity.
6) Thou shalt not murder anyone that doesn’t deserve to be killed – you decide.
7) Thou shalt not commit adultery – but, hey, looking at the menu doesn’t mean you have to order dessert if you know what I mean, nudge nudge.
8) Thou shalt not steal, apart from little things that nobody would miss. Hey the hotel put those things out for you. They’re yours to take if you want. And no one misses a bit of office stationery – it’s a rightful supplement to your wages.
9) Thou shalt not bear false witness except when it’s only a little white lie or you might get in bigger trouble if the truth came out.
10) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house. His career and new BMW are alright though.
11) Thou shalt not start wars unless there is a possibility of forcing regime change on a country and being able to blame it on a search for weapons of mass destruction.

I'm beginning to lose faith in our political leaders. Maybe we should ask Earl.