15. DECLINING STANDARDS IN SOCIETY

One-third of all teenagers claimed to have been unconscious from binge drinking in the last year (BBC ‘The Big Question’ today).

One teacher on the same programme suggested that it was alright and acceptable for a teacher to be seen in public, intoxicated, showing his midriff, and also claimed that it had absolutely nothing to do with his ability as a teacher. Complete hogwash!

Teachers have to ‘walk the talk’, as they are role models for those they teach. They have a responsibility to set moral examples for the young, and to take exception to inappropriate behaviour, but only when they have learned to set the right examples themselves.

What seems quite ridiculous to me is that the vast majority of young binge- drinkers are breaking the law, and there seems to be no punishment, only to be loaded into the back of a police-wagon and taken to the cells to cool off. Free food and drink and a bed to rest from their arduous, hardworking evening!

Some young people are controlling society, and we have absolutely no way of changing this trend except to change education, which features testing, testing, testing. Schools are too big, too impersonal, unwieldy, and also demonstrate through the ridiculous state education system, that standards are so low that almost all young people can pass examinations in today’s society, which encourages the government analysts to celebrate their great work!

I exonerate from blame almost all teenagers who are struggling to find a sense in society, and who are therefore compelled to find their own identity, often in celebrities. The false impression in television programmes that fame is just around the corner has a lot to answer for! We do not offer enough structured facilities for young people, who will therefore get into trouble seeking their own threshold experiences on the streets.

Young people rule their parents! If they want to drink, they drink! If they want to smoke, they smoke! If they feel that taking drugs is what they wish to do, they do that! Television, films, modern music and celebrities encourage these things almost every second of the day.

These images that present themselves to the young are partly responsible for the breakdown of the family. Many young people steal, swear, abuse police, hold up roads ambling drunk through their local community, and others’, threaten the old, and seem to be absolutely oblivious to what is decent and respectable. In a way there is a war in this country; a war of standards! Yet, young people are full of potential and could achieve a considerable amount more than they do if we had leadership in this country, and bin the Health and Safety Executive!

An eminent sociologist in his latest book on sociology, stated that ‘the world changes in thirty seconds, more than it had changed since the beginning of time.’ Anthony blames the cyber age for this. He is right! ‘X’ boxes, violent computer games, Smartphones by right, sod the drinking laws, money without earning it, indicates to me that we have sold our young people down the river.’ It is not their fault, is it?

Children have the right to be able to grow to adulthood, without experiencing the freedom that adults do, and to be treated as developing human beings.

Children need to be saved and protected. I do not condone the yob culture, but education, politicians and the family have given rise to it! Long live children!