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SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND-A British teaching union famous for strange ideas has supported proposal to
employ dogs as classroom assistants.
At the annual conference of the Professional Association of teachers in Southport, northwest of England,
one person suggested properly trained dogs be able to keep order in primary schools. They can round up lost
children and protect those who experience unfortunate"accidents". Wendy Dyble, a Sheetland Islands woman
who teaches children up to age seven, made it clear to her fellow friends that she was not "barking mad". They
obviously believed her, supporting her idea by 16 votes to 13, with a total of 63 abstentions.
He said big dogs could help round up children, keep them in line, lick up the milk they spill on the floor and
provide the extra eyes that a teacher needs to keep order."A big dog would also be helpful for breaking up
fights and look for lost property, like gym shoes or dolls," Dyble said at the conference."The dog will also be
useful in sniffing out smells that children do not own up to," she added. "It would be nice for the teacher not to
have to go round sniffing each child to find the culprit."
The idea was greeted by the Dog Defense League but less so by bigger teaching unions. A spokesman for
Education Secretary David Blunkett, who is blind, said his guide dog was always popular with pupils when he
visited schools. The Professional Association of Teachers, with around 35,000 members, is the smallest
teaching union in Britain. It has an honour for occasional strange ideas.
Earlier this week, its annual conference here suggested stopping exams because they lead to stress and
introducing selection at the age of 12 based on physical coordination and manual skill in the use of hand.
1. According to the writer's opinion, to employ dogs as classroom assistants _____.
A. is a wonderful idea
B. can improve the relation between children and animals
C. is beyond ordinary people's minds
D. can make some teachers lose jobs
2. What Dyble said at the conference _____.
A. gained some support from the members
B. frightened everyone at the conference
C. interested everyone at the conference
D. caused some trouble to trained dogs
3. A spokesman for Education Secretary _____.
A. once used a dog as classroom assistant
B. sang high praise for Dyble's idea
C. would employ dogs as teachers
D. benefited from dogs more than others
4. The last paragraph of this passage _____.
A. has nothing to do with the topic of this passage
B. shows there are too many exams in British school
C. provides further facts about the teaching union
D. shows the writer's anger to the union
