Pupils may leave school well-versed in the three Rs but knowing how to mind their Ps and Qs is another matter.
One public school in UK, however, is attempting to reverse a decline in good manners with an etiquette week for pupils, including those as young as three.
Special classes will cover subjects ranging from holding doors open to deportment. The youngest pupils will be taught how to write thank you letters and practise saying "please" and "thank you". Older pupils will learn how to present themselves to future employers and use "net-iquette" when sending e-mails.
Ian Hunt, headteacher at Llandovery College, in Carmarthenshire, charging £12,800 a year for senior day pupils, said:" We hope our programme puts old-fashioned manners into a modern context."
General rules on manners also include how to circulate at social events, keeping hands out of pockets when talking to someone and writing thank you notes. While using mobiles, pupils will be encouraged to speak quietly, to ignore calls in cinemas and restaurants.
学生们能从学校学习如何阅读、写作、做算术题，可能否学到正确的礼仪，可就不一定了。
英国《每日邮报》报道，近日英国一所公立学校针对在校学生发起了一场“礼仪周”活动，旨在扭转世风日下的趋势。据悉，此次活动的参加者不乏三岁幼童。
此次活动附带一些特殊课程，比如如何优雅地扶住开着的门以及如何让举止得体。最小的学生则会学习如何写感谢信以及联系说“请”、“谢谢”。大一些的学生将会学到如何面对未来的雇主，并且学习如何在发送电子邮件时使用“网络礼仪”。
英国卡马森郡兰多维利学院目前正在教授此类课程，学生需要为此支付每年超过1万英镑的学费。该校校长伊恩亨特说道：“我们希望这些课程能让传统礼仪融入当代文化背景。”
此外，学生们还会学到如何谈论热点事件、谈话时手放在兜外以及如何写感谢信。在使用手机方面，学生们则要小声通话、对电影院和餐馆里别人的电话铃声保持宽容。