Comment

Last week I noticed and advert in one of the weekly papers for a front door surveillance system. When I was a lad I delivered grocery orders after school. Often there was nobody home and so the order was just placed on the kitchen bench – nobody locked their house when they went out – there was no necessity. These days it would be extremely foolish not to lock up, and now evidently, some people even consider it necessary to check who’s at the door before opening it.

How has society degenerated to this situation within just one lifetime? Comparing ‘then’ and ‘now’, to me, two major differences seem obvious; family life and employment.

Children were in stable families with a Mum and Dad. Parents who taught us right from wrong, read to us in the evening, made sure went of to school with some porridge or Weetbix in out tummy, helped and encouraged us with our school work. It definitely paid not to be cheeky, get into trouble or have unsatisfactory remarks on our school report.

These days solo parents are an accepted norm. Many are merely children themselves, often also products of solo parent homes, with few parenting skills. The other situation is partners whose lives are ruled by alcohol or drugs. Parents who can’t even organise themselves to produce a few pieces of toast and Marmite and a cup of Milo for their children before pushing them off to school – let alone impart any moral codes.

Some children arrive as New Entrants having never had a book or held a pencil (if you think this is exaggeration ask any New Entrant teacher). They start well behind and with no support or encouragement from home are destined to never catch up. They become discouraged and disinterested and simply switch off. No teacher with a class of twenty plus pupils can possibly give such a pupil the full on attention required. Support and encouragement from home is essential, but they don’t get it.

These children will eventually leave school unable to read, write or do basic arithmetic. Completely unprepared for or interested in any meaningful employment.

The other glaring problem is lack of jobs. Not all that long ago a standard question from visitors to children was ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ No matter the answer, a railway engine driver, nurse, doctor, there were plenty of jobs to aspire to.

Now all the thousands of semi skilled jobs which once provide employment have been moved off shore. Miserable wages and conditions there allow these to be imported cheaply. The downside is that we have a generation with no realistic hope of permanent employment. Little wonder that many young people are frustrated and despondent. And for some, given a combination of this situation and their upbringing, lawless.

A point to think about as we enjoy the advantage of purchasing clothes, home appliances, books, foodstuffs etc. at attractively low prices. There may be saving here but be aware that, unnoticed, you will be paying extra tax towards the benefit of the person who became unemployed when the production of the item was moved off shore.

Mike Beckett