Leave parenting to the parents, Mr Balls

Is there a more egregious example of a nanny state that is out of control than Children's Secretary Ed Balls forcing teachers to keep tabs on whether their pupils are getting fat?

It is one of up to 31 indicators which schools will be asked to measure in order to gauge a child's 'well-being'.

They also include checking for drug abuse, use of contraception, teenage pregnancy and signs of bullying. In short, teachers will have to do the job of parents.

Worse, a school's progress on these 'indicators' will be measured by Ofsted. Which, head teachers fear, could lead to them getting in trouble for having too many obese or pregnant pupils.

The job of a teacher is to educate children. It is not to act as a social engineer, or a surrogate mother or father.

The megalomaniacally meddlesome Mr Balls  -  who, of course, had a fabulous private school education  -  should leave them to do just that. But he can't resist the urge to interfere.

Take some of the other responsibilities given to schools yesterday. These include checks for a 'rights-respecting culture' and a 'culturally sensitive' curriculum.

In other words, more bureaucracy, more form-filling and less time for teaching.

But then what would you expect from Mr Balls, whose first act was to abolish the word 'education' from his newly named Department for Children, Schools and Families?

Deserving of scorn
As this paper has often commented, our 'Right Honourable' MPs just don't seem to understand why they are held in ever more contempt by the public.

Yesterday saw the classic act of elected representatives who wish to be seen to do the right thing, while keeping their snouts in the trough.

The MPs said they wanted to set an example to public sector workers by accepting a 2.25 per cent pay rise, and for this small gesture we should be thankful.

But what message was delivered by the decisions which followed? First, they opted to continue feathering their nests with the much-exploited £24,000 second homes allowance.

Second, they rejected an end to the scandalous 'John Lewis list'  -  the use of public money to pay for new kitchens and flatscreen TVs.

Our MPs, including, sadly, a handful of Tories, showed with yesterday's vote they are either hopelessly out of touch with an electorate struggling to cope with the rising cost of food and fuel, or simply too arrogant to care.

Trim the BBC's fat
Sir Antony Jay, a hugely respected figure, today makes a compelling case for dismantling much of the BBC.

The former BBC editor and Yes Minister creator says much of the corporation's £3billion budget (paid for by you) is squandered on undistinguished, ' spacefiller' programmes, identical to those available on unsubsidised channels.

Worse, many people see the serious programming it does manage to produce as 'a propaganda vehicle for the liberal elite whose views and values are at odds with those of most of its audience'.

Hear, hear. The Mail has been saying much the same for years.

Sir Antony rightly says the corporation should concentrate on providing brilliant programming on BBC One and Radio Four, while axing many of the hugely expensive digital channels and radio stations whose market is already catered for by the commercial sector.

His is a thoughtful contribution to a debate that will get louder the more hubristic an ever-growing BBC becomes.