Out, damn'd spot!

Have you seen this idea that rubbers (no, not that sort - erasers!) should be banned from classrooms? One Guy Claxton, who is described as a "cognitive scientist" - whatever that is - has gone so far as to call them "instruments of the devil".  His argument is that they allow children to conceal the fact that they have made a mistake and pretend that they got it right first time.  There should be no shame in making mistakes, he maintains.  I am reminded of the old adage "the man who never made a mistake, never made anything".  Well, it's a point of view, but is this really why kids rub things out?  I can only speak for myself, but for me it would be more a matter of neatness of presentation - I would feel more ashamed of handing in an untidy piece of work with crossings out than the fact that I'd made mistakes.  Also I've yet to come across a rubber that rubs out without leaving some evidence that it's been used, so the idea that it conceals your mistakes is questionable.