Ruthie and the kiddyfiddlers

Ruth Kelly, bonkersly Popish education secretary, is under fire for allowing someone with "child abuse" convictions (accessed child porn on a computer) to work in a school.

Now I know I'm going to be accused of being soft on paedophiles (see Chris Langham post) but aren't we going a bit insane here? I remember several teachers with questionable sexual intentions when I was growing up. Can't recall any great harm coming to anyone, though.

You might remember the case of Nick Fulwood, at one time the British number two tennis player, who was banned from coaching under-18s last year because he'd slept in the same room as a 14-year-old girl. This was, incidentally, at the request of the girl's parents and, presumably, accepted by the girl herself. They never shared a bed. No evidence was ever produced of any assault or other offence. But it was "inappropriate" behaviour, so that's that then.

British education (and British tennis for that matter) is dying in a ditch partly because there aren't enough decent teachers to go round. If you apply the safety-first attitude that we've got at the moment, you won't have any child abuse, because no teacher will be allowed to come within 20 yards of any child. Lessons will be conducted by loudhailer.

God, I nearly said something along the lines of "political correctness gone mad". Shoot me.