Rude pupils spoil the Heath

Published: 27 May, 2010

• THE three schools whose students litter the Parliament Hill Fields area of the Heath might help deter this by focusing on personalities rather than on ecology.

A while ago I approached several girls from one school who were littering the ground around the bench where they were eating their lunch.
When I told them to put their rubbish into a dustbin, they smirked at me, and the girl who was obviously their leader told me loftily that there were people employed by the government to do that sort of thing.

Perhaps the schools could discuss with their students about how a person with this attitude is likely to regard him- or herself; how he or she will likely treat all other people, not just park cleaners; and how a park cleaner (or a child whose parent is one) would feel on hearing this.

I would hope the schools could make their students realise that littering is an expression of this smugness and arrogance and not, as they seem to think, of their freedom and importance.

If the students are not receptive, however, why don’t the schools forbid them the Heath until they have developed some manners and decency? 
Allowing them to continue this anti-social behaviour means that the schools are endorsing their attitude toward the Heath attendants and other Heath users, and the children know it.
RHODA KOENIG
Roderick Road
NW3