I READ with dismay that the head teacher of Millthorpe School has had to negotiate a settlement with a pupil over wearing a lip stud.

Although it seems trivial, even laughable, that this story has been run in The Press, it holds up a little mirror to reveal one of the major reasons we are in such a mess as a society.

I am referring to the triumph of the rights of the individual over the needs of the wider community. A democratic and civil society needs rules that we all subscribe to - for the benefit of the overwhelming majority (of whatever creed or colour).

Individualism (fanned by the notion we are all "valued customers") has gone too far and we need to redress this balance. It is in all our interests that we do this in order to reverse the increasing fragmentation, alienation and isolation in our communities.

This sounds a huge task, and most of us do not sit on parole boards that put the rights of prisoners before the safety of the public.

However, we can affect the little things, like supporting teachers who apply the school rules, which we need to realise are there for a much bigger reason than for the health and safety issues of wearing a lip stud.

David Farnsworth,

Old Orchard,

Haxby,

York.

Updated: 10:52 Wednesday, May 17, 2006