So I spent today learning about things from the other point of view; spent today following a pupil round, she was in year eleven and so I guess I got on with her pretty well because theres only after all five years age difference between us.
Then I organised activities for the local Girl guide group. I had such fun; it’s a lot more fun being in charge of the guides than it is in a classroom however. Mind you WonderWoman, the Guide Leader and I both agree that there are so many more girls nowaday (and boys I guess too) with real low self-esteem. I remember there being a few but no where near as many adolescents as I have encountered today who think so little of themselves. I mean to an extent I have always been confident, random head problems aside, but I wasn’t an exception.
Adolescents today apparently need to be taught good citizenship I believe Mr. Blair has said. I think its largely his idea to solve youth crime and grafitti and generic thuggish behaviour in teenagers. What adolescents need to be taught, in my opinion, is how to regard themselves as worthwile peopl, because frankly until they do how are they going to be able to value anything else.
exsqueeze me? Baking powder? I beg your pudding?
"WonderWoman, the Guide Leader and I"
I’m confused. Does this mean that your guide leader is WonderWoman, or does it mean that you, your guide leader *and* WonderWoman were discussing politics perhaps over a coffee?
seriouly though, I agree with you whole heartedly. I watched one of these ‘citizenship’ classes in action on some documentary yesterday morning and though they seem perfectly useful, I was shocked and appalled that children as old as fifteen were unaware of such basic concepts as equality, tolerance and freedom of speech.
There was one little girl (tarted up like a right slapper she was)who understood that we had the right to say what ever we felt – fair enough – but it both shocked and appalled her that we also have the responsibility to let *everyone* have their say. She found it unsufferable that the racist, the sexist and the homophobes are allowed to voice their opinions.
exsqueeze me? Baking powder? What the point of having freedom of speech and the right to assembly if you are not allowed to have an opinon that differentiates from the accepted cultural norm? To censor someones opinions is opression. In this case it might be possitive oppression, but its still opression.
I am shocked and appalled that youngsters, who are on the verge of becoming real people and starting their independant lives, are growing up without this level of understanding of freedom and human rights.
Did their grandparents not teach them ‘I may not like what you have to say, but I’ll fight to the death to let you say it.’
Perhaps, children will grow up with more respect for themselves if they are taught to have respect for other people. (and as you said mish, visa versa) Citizenship should not begin first period on monday of year nine, it should begin in the home, from the second you are born as it was for me and as I’m sure it was for all of you.
Yes, but parents are fucking useless half the time.
That’s why schools exist.