h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The saintly Cameron, whom I'd respect if he were old enough, has said aloud that poor parenting is the cause of much of the problems with youngsters. I'd go further and suggest that tying teachers' hands so they couldn't plug the gap, so to speak, is the cause of the rest, together with no coppers on the beat, ready (and allowed) to wallop little Jimmy on the bum (am I allowed to use that Orfull Werd?) should he show signs of running amok....I could go on, in fact I do and bore the audience out of its socks, so that's enough.

Dig

Well now...

Although I don't share your urge to beatify politicians of any persuasion, I noticed your leader recently in the company of Camila Batmanghelidjh who has a different approach (than battering bums) (www.kidsco.org.uk) and I did slightly warm to the fellow when he was trying to understand yoof - and was tabloided as hugging a hoodie. There is a lot of understanding needed, when kids have no parents worthy of the name.

Teachers have always been a problem, many good, some bad. Arming them with the right to strike back makes no sense to me. Good teachers don't need that, bad teachers will use it badly.

Maybe where you are the police are good guys, where I am they are not. I don't want them walloping kids.


None of the above stops me grumbling. But answers are not so simple, especially not for those who have been given (or have taken on) the responsibility of trying to keep things under control. Those of us who are now "senior" have, I sometimes think, had the best of it. Our times have been relatively good, free and easy. Our grandchildren will have much tougher times than we. We must also accept a lot of responsibility for the way things are and will be.

Having said all of that, on the whole "the kids are alright" and those who aren't need a lot of (very expensive) help, help that may well include more hugs than wallops.

"
Teachers have always been a problem, many good, some bad. Arming them with the right to strike back makes no sense to me. Good teachers don't need that, bad teachers will use it badly."

For goodness' sake, Pheron, I never suggested that beatings should become standard treatment. Did I???????????????????????

This was by no means my intention. There are other ways of taming the Savage Beast, as you musbe only too aware. I was only suggesting, as I felt must be obvious, that teachers, who take up a considerable proportion of a child's life, are, in fact, in loco parentis, and should be considered capable of fulfilling such a role. If I was misunderstandable, I apologise to all.

Camila B. of course, is the image we should all try to emulate, but...

Dig

Never apologise, never explain.

All is OK, Sd, I was just trying to pull you back from the brink of "Hang-em, Flog-em" and all that!

Once upon a time I tried to outline my idea of Utopia A812404 but found it a lonely place! It involved, if I remember, the use of South Georgia as a prison island for the irretrievably evil. I have in mind, of course, those two boys who were in court recently. What on earth do you do with them and their parents?? I see no solution.

Logic implies that the root of the problem is in the parents, but how the *** can you estimate which parents should be Seen To before they have a chance to reproduce?

Thank the Lord that these are the exception rather than a common occurrence. Is it significant, d'you think, that in the two cases which have hit the headlines, the perpetrators were a pair? That implies that one was the boss and the other the bagman. Or does it? I think possibly that your St Quentin (may have got the name wrong. My head needs a service) idea is an answer. I don't say THE answer, because I should be amazed if there were a THE. Why do we never hear from people who (think they?)know these things??

Dig

I don't think there is an answer. We all like to judge others, but somehow we are frightened to actually do anything. On the odd occasions that I have got myself involved in local government (Not politics - there is no space for wishy washy liberals round here) I found the inertia and the shovelling of responsibility and/or blame very frustrating and conducive only to retaining the status quo. I presume that inertia is the reason that we don't get good politicians - its just too much for a sane brain to stand. Having said that, there are good guys on the national stage, but we already know, don't we, that they will not be able to defeat the mandarins who have their own way of laying a dead hand on anything that rocks the boat too much.

Personally I like the Early Start programme. I have seen something of it and it seems to work well. I would like to see Midwives and Health Visitors able to make it compulsory for families judged inadequate/incapable to attend on pain of the children being taken away for fostering to attend regularly (Daily). I would also like to see more boarding schools re-introduced where children 'at-risk' can be sent, well away from (bad) family influence. Now, that's not very liberal is it!!

That will do for todays little rant!!

I rather like little rants! But I can find nothing to complain about in yours, and I do like to complain!

The Times had an excellent couple of articles on the subject on Tuesday (which I only read today, it's such a Big paper!!) The authors seemed to feel much as we do.

Which is comforting.

Dig