Education Letter: Your views

University of Northumbria at Newcastle

Jack O'Sullivan goes some way to highlight a growing problem which I have been aware of from a health aspect for many years ("A bad way to educate boys", Education + April 3). Indeed the need for health and education to work closer together on the needs of small boys, adolescent boys and young men has, I believe, been overlooked.

My own area of work includes treating repetitive young male/adult male offenders whose expression of dissatisfaction, frustration, call it what you want, is to vent anger on peers and authority figures.

The 10 steps to redress the balance in my opinion couldn't come in fast enough to prevent a further generation of young boys/men becoming tarnished, labelled, and put on the scrap heap of failure.

What is needed is a model of listening, understanding and valuing these young people.

If we do not do so, they will stop listening understanding and valuing anything, including you, me, authority and ultimately themselves.

Carl Dutton

Deputy charge nurse

Halton General Hospital,Cheshire