The thing is, apart from the idiot here and there posting about how "lazy parents are popping off kids just to get benefits" (for the record, I went to uni, trained as a mental health nurse, then life fed me a curve ball, I now am unable to work for reasons that are our business, and have 4 kids. Contrary to THAT opinion our kids are been raised with a focus upon ethics, literacy etc missing in so many children in this day and age. So quite typecasting people according to your own limited views.) you're all correct in what you believe is causing these problems.
The biggest cause however is that kids now look at the world and see that no matter how hard they strive, unless they are privileged kids from the off, then the odds are they're going to end up jobless and in the system. Add into this that society has managed to leave parents, the police and schools in the position where there comes a point where you CAN'T make kids do as they're told, and kids know this, and you're left with a complete and utter mess!
I blame this mess on do gooders, reformers and the plonkers who live in the belief that they know best. The same folks who yell that you can't discriminate against children who are lets face it really thick and holding back brighter class mates. The same folks who have insisted that children are taught BS topics like humanities etc. Ahh heck, you get the idea. TOO MUCH has been changed, and oh look, turns out it's not for the better after all.
Teaching kids is NOT the sole responsibility of schools, but should be shared between schools, parents and yes society as a whole. Illiteracy has sod all to do with parents on benefits, that's just a by product of the fact that their parents failed in the exact same way as their kids will. Been on benefits is NOT the cause, it's the end result.
The other thing I have to say thoug is, who the heck reckons the kids are illiterate? Oh yes, a 'newspaper'. Sorry, but illiteracy is NOT the biggest problem facing our children. That title gets to be held by the simple fact that too many kids these days believe they are untouchable, that they can do as they please and have a complete lack or respect for the rights, property or person of others. Try getting the police to do anything about criminal behaviour in under 14s some time, and you will quickly find out why... They tend to turn around and say that they can't do a thing, that that is up to parents and schools. The problem parents, schools etc have though is, goverment have removed their ability to control the kids. Whilst trying to protect children, they have in fact been too wishy washy with the laws created, leaving parents with huge doubts about just what exactly they can do short of taking away little Johnny's xbox which doesn't work anyway. Oh well you should reward the good behaviour they say... Hmmm yes, that would be the one where kids behave just long enough to earn the reward.....
Me, I say give parents more tools to reign in unruly kids. Take away this idea kids have that "You can't make me!". Maybe boot camps aren't such a bad idea after all.... SUPPORT the parents, rather than keeping them feeling threatened and scared to do anything. SUPPORT the schools, rather than banning more and more of the punishments they can use (I mean seriously, when I was a kid the idea of detention was terrifying! What the heck changed?). Society, STOP standing in judgement on parents, start trying to work with them rather than against them!
Here's a really good example of how messed up things have gotten. Parents can be taken to court and fined now if their kids miss school too much. Ok that's fair enough, no argument with this where it's the fault of the parents. Here's the thing though (not personal experience this by the way), parent a starts walking their kid to the school gates to make sure they get to school BEFORE this happens, that's about the most they can do realistically. Kid a however runs away from parent a before they reach the gates and parent a is scared to restrain them for fear that they will end up been arrested. Or alternatively they get their kid to school, kid walks through the gates, parent watches them until the kids all go in, kid simply walks out when parent a has left, so they never reach registration, et voila counted as absent. So great, some bright spark decided that fining parents would force them to send their kids to school, what they forgot though is that in many cases they ARE sending their kids to school, and are doing as much as they feel they are able to to ensure they go. Heck I have seen myself just how lax schools can be in controlling kids once they get through the school gates. Heck, we know somebody who drives her kid to school, on time. He regularly skips registration though and just goes straight to his classes. Meanwhile his mum is copping flack for her kids 'lates'. Kid isn't late at all, just nobody in the school is taking the time and responsibility to ensure her kid goes to registration once he is IN school....
Our current systems aren't set up to ensure kids reach their optimum at all. It's set up to punish, not support.
As to "peer pressure", sorry Tek, that's called bullying and tends to just result in suicide, psychological damage or kids behaving even worst. Peer SUPPORT would be far more useful, but kids have never been great at this.
Ade
