an Opposition Senator stressed yesterday.

Just as parents had to be responsible for teaching their children discipline so that when they came to a classroom they were ready to learn, the media had to practice responsible journalism, stressed Opposition Senate Leader Maxwell Burgess.

"We need fair and reasonable reporting.'' He explained that if people had the perception that public education was second rate then the reality was that it would be second rate.

And if young people thought they were in a second rate system then it was small wonder that they would behave in ways which caused people concern.

"If you tell them that they are second class, then the student will begin to believe they are a second class and will behave that way.'' Sen. Burgess pointed to the media coverage of the opening day of CedarBridge Academy and commented on how the media highlighted the activities of less than a percent of the student body who failed to settle in to their new surroundings quietly.

The cameras never showed the other 99 percent of the student body who settled in to their new school environment nicely, he stressed.

"It always seems to be a case of the minority hitting the headlines. If you put half the present news coverage on children who are doing well in school, then other children would behave well.

"You need to get the feel-good factor in place, then you will get students who will produce.'' And those people who believed that everything was fine in the private education system were deluding themselves, continued Sen. Burgess "Anyone who sits around and believes that private education does not have its problems is living in Alice and Wonderland.'' But you did not see media reporting of private school cases like you did in public schools, he pointed out.