Lizzie Cornish, I am sorry that for you and your children school was such a bad experience. Perhaps you are a special case. I have known some hyper-sensitive people for whom ordinary events were an over-load.

For most of us though, I believe, school is a mix of good memories - special teachers, lifelong friends, doors opened to new avenues - and bad memories of sadistic teachers, bullies and dead ends.

Kind of like life.