I don't know if this is country-wide, but teachers are not ALLOWED to correct this oversight of respect in their classrooms in Georgia anymore!
A few years ago they tried here (Louisiana) to require kids in public schools to use "yes ma'am/sir" and "no ma'am/sir" when addressing teachers and administration, with some pretty strict consequences for failing to do so... And parents went absolutely batshit insane, indignant that the school board would "force" their children to address adults with respect. *sighs* These are the same parents who expect teachers to do their jobs for them, and yet condemn the teachers when they try. <img src="/images/graemlins/wall.gif" alt="" />