Planet Mad

Scandal and outrage have broken out in the House. The prefects caught one of A Block (that's Year 10, or 4th Year in old money) using her phone after the permitted time, and so confiscated it, as per the rules; if you'd heard the outcry you'd think that the culpret had been made to clean the toilets with her toothbrush! The pupils here can become so focused on their own petty litte arguments and mishaps that they lose sight of the big picture. Sometimes I long to tell them all to get a proper perspective on life, but I suspect that this would not be a politically correct thing to do. Professional dilemma of the day: how does one counter the argument of "I know she broke the rules but it's not fair that she gets punished" without saying, "Tough, kid - that's life. Learn it and become a better person."?