I worked in one of the top private schools where I live, and I was horrified by what the students felt was acceptable.

If they were working on pieces of paper they'd simply screw them up and drop them on the floor. By the end of the day the classroom was a pigsty.

I challenged them on that.

"It's the cleaner's job,'they told me.

I then explained that the cleaner's job was to clean, and not tidy up after them, after which I asked them to look around and decide what was acceptable for a cleaner to face at the end of the day.

Much shrugging of shoulders followed, but at least they cleaned up on that day, and met my expectations whenever I taught them thereafter.

I was just filling in, in that school, but was horrified by what these students were allowed to do, and more horrified by their general attitudes.

There was a pervasive arrogance in many of the students. That could only come from home ... plus maybe a little slackness on the part of the classroom teacher.

Many of the students hailed from what I refer to as the nouveau riche, and they stood out like sore thumbs.