Would it not be hypocritical to participate in the trial of this female student who took up the challenge of performing a striptease in the classroom before a few friends who had the risky idea of recording it on camera-equipped mobile phones? This incident, turned into a media event, only sends a mirror image of a society, which bears the marks of our own contribution.

Had we not given ultra sophisticated user-friendly mobile phones to our kids, would they have recorded their misdeeds and shared them so easily and rapidly? Had we not made of money-making the priority of priorities, would some of our kids have had idea of making an easy business out of the recording? Had we taught them respect for school, would they have committed such misdeeds on its premises? Had nudity not been trivialized in adverts, movies and other media, would our kids not have had more respect for their bodies? When religion is treated with aversion in the name of some high-profile persons? misconception of state laity, how could it be valued as a beacon light for our kids? Lastly for instance, the host of an interactive radio program showed his exasperation before the successive references to the Bible on that day exclaiming: ?Why do they all have to talk about the Bible this morning!? Would he have had the same reaction had they referred to Greek mythology? Had we not in the name of liberty made of permissiveness a way of life, would our kids have had such lack of self-restraint? It?s hard to say but we are only reaping what we have been sowing. Sometimes we do foster good seeds in the hearts of our kids but we fail to uproot the numerous weeds brought by the unfavourable winds of the surroundings. It?s all about continuous control. We should ensure that other actors - such as teachers and decision-makers - who participate in our children?s development are taking care of this young and fertile soil properly. It would, for instance, be desirable if more focus were placed on the teaching of universal values such as non-violence and self-control. Why not study such great men as Gandhi at school? Would his autobiography - The story of my experiments with truth - not be a relevant and resourceful literature text for our adolescents? Yes, society would neither benefit from our empty criticisms nor from the extensive and sometimes suggestive publicity of that sad incident. It only serves the low interests of gossips and might even lead to copycat cases while being detrimental to the girl?s reputation and that of her family. Mistakes are human; we have to learn from them and not use them to hurt others unscrupulously. Children only copy what they are led to see. Let?s like Gandhi give them the opportunity of discerning good from bad, assimilating the one and avoiding the other. It?s only at that price that education won?t be a misnomer.

<B>ALAIN JEANNOT</B>