The Editor, Sir:

I must express condolences to the parents and relatives of the young schoolboy who lost his life at the hands of a schoolmate at Jamaica College during a fight.

When I was in school I engaged in a few fights myself, but they never included implements of death. It was seen then that you were less than a real man if you had to run for implements in order to stake your claim. Where have all the good old fist-fights gone? Have all our boys become parasitic, earring popping, bleached-faced sissies and badmen?

Boys will be boys and an effort to force them into being sissies should be resisted. Instead disciplined physical and strong mental self-control must be emphasised.

The most worrying bit of information was that the assailant was given the knife by another schoolboy. It used to be that others would intervene to prevent the use of any implement at all leaving the combatants to depend on their physical abilities.

What we really need though is Peace And Love In Schools (PALS) all over again; not war and crime.

I am, etc;

MICHAEL SPENCE

micspen2@hotmail.com

P.O.Box 630

Liguanea, Kingston 6