Two small boys, about five and eight years old, were with their father. Suddenly, the 40-something-year-old man turned around sharply to the elder boy and, in a fierce voice, slapping his head at the same time, shouted: 'Didn't I tell you the answer to this question on this test paper and still you don't know?'

He next walked off briskly, again shouting: 'I'm leaving both of you here.' This led the younger boy to call out, 'Mummy,' as both ran to catch up with him.

The Registry of Marriages should introduce a pre-marital course for couples intending to tie the knot on the duties and responsibilities of parenting.

While this does not guarantee that parental abuse will be completely stemmed, it should go some way to curb this social ill. Any benefit accruing from such a pre-marital advisory course would, of course, be incalculable for their future offspring and, as a corollary, for the social good as well.

Yap Swee Hoo