Recently, I was fortunate to see the fruits of our public education system when I attended a school assembly at Mulwaree High School to commemorate the Anzacs. The ability and exemplary behaviour of the students was a credit to them, their teachers and the school.

The entire assembly was lead with confidence by a cohort of talented students ranging from Year 7 through to Year 12.

Prior to the arrival of the official party a teacher called for the students' attention with an explanation of the word reverence and how it underpinned Australia's regard for Anzac Day. This important message must have hit the mark as each and every student sat with a mature disposition for the duration of the assembly.

Unfortunately, not everyone present displayed as much reverence to the occasion as the students. As I sat listening to the guest speaker, I couldn't help noticing our state local member of parliament, Pru Goward, paying more attention to her mobile phone than the proceedings of the assembly.

Come on, Ms Goward, as an official guest, is it asking too much to switch your phone to silent or do you need to attend one of our fine public schools to learn about reverence?

David Baird, Goulburn.