(Strip Number 4103, Original Publication Date, 11 December 1981)
Panel 1: We find ourselves at the school as Mrs Hardacre tells John and Elly that Michael would rather entertain the class than get the work done.
Panel 2: Instead of acknowledging that there are issues at home that force him to seek out attention, Elly simpers that Mike feels as if he's being picked on.
Panel 3: Mrs Hardacre says that of course, she's 'picking on him.'
Panel 4: She wouldn't bother if she didn't think that he had potential.
Summary: Since she's strict with all her students, that means that she wants them all to be the best they can be; since she's talking to Patterswine, she's being interpreted as saying that "Mike is special and is being singled out because he's special."