SOME statistics don’t come as a great surprise. A few days ago we read about a school headteacher who was grabbed by the throat and headbutted in his office by a parent.

The parent was described as ‘angry’ – as if that goes some way towards accounting for his actions.

The words ‘totally lacking in any sort of self-control’ would have been more accurate.

Anyway, now we are told that school exclusion figures for physical assaults on teachers, and other pupils, are on the rise.

Judging by the example some pupils are being set by their parents, this is surely nothing less than you would expect?

After all, children do learn by watching and aping (without meaning to denigrate primates) the behaviour of those adults who are supposed to be role models, as well as their biological parents.

Overall in the county, the number of primary permanent exclusions increased from 22 to 34 from the previous school year – an increase of 54.5per cent. In total 31 primary headteachers, out of 473 schools, implemented permanent sanctions.

The number of expulsion days across primary schools increased by 322 days – a rise of 264 per cent. The cabinet member for children and schools is keen to stress, however, that these exclusions for aggression are ‘few and far between’. It would be truly horrific if they weren’t, because exclusion is really an admission that the school just cannot control a specific child’s behaviour and has, in effect, given up.

But parents have to set the tone, and be aware that youngsters will follow their lead.

How depressing it is in this country (and I’ve never seen it abroad) to see mums and dads inflicting physical violence on their children in public – or ‘chastising’ as advocates of this barbaric ritual like to call it.

Equally upsetting is the number of parents who can be heard loudly swearing in front of under-tens, who will no doubt soon be using the same language with their own siblings and playmates.

Another vivid pointer to how children pick up the anxieties of adults was recounted to me last week by a primary school teacher who was trying to instil basic principles of road safety into a group of six-year-olds.

She asked them why it was important that they shouldn’t play around near the edge of the pavement.

The response came as quick as a flash from one boy: “If you stand too close to the road a car might stop and a paedophile could pull you into it and drive off.”

What a sad comment on the world we live in.