18. WHERE IS THE ADVENTURE IN SOCIETY?

Young people in British and world society are falling foul of some of the quite ridiculous rules of the Health and Safety Executive! I am forever reading of ludicrous new legislation put in place to preserve them from falling over, being struck by a conker, eating the wrong food and even having fun!

Somewhere in the offices of government officials are finding themselves in their offices with time on their hands, so they can invent new legislation. This article is not to undermine the powers of the government, but I feel it is time for some sort of statement from people of this country that might instil common sense.

Adventure is almost gone, the opportunities for young people to develop a healthy body and mind through undergoing purposeful and often life-changing challenges are few and far between, and the beautiful nature of our country offers only a handful of young people the challenges they so need.

The majority of children grow up in accommodation that is not conducive to happy living, with no gardens and only communal spaces to call their natural world. This was contrived by a government fifty years ago who purported that tower blocks for the modern world would be cheaper and much more community-centred than the days of the past. We know from the vast array of news articles that society is becoming obese! According to the media over 34% of teenagers in this country are overweight and seem to take almost no active part in sport and physical education but spend almost all their time plugged in to Smartphones and the controlling cyber world.

These young lives, the future leaders, the future adults of our society, are controlled by the rules of the HSE and so youth leaders dare not take young people into difficult terrain or lead them into challenges as they used to for fear of litigation. We are creating a society that fails to make a stand for children to receive the natural, healthy challenges of youth, and that does not understand how utterly vital it is for our youngsters to have adventure as part of their lives.

Health and human science seem to only be taught in very few schools; except as options. Can children choose such things as ‘options’? What does that mean? Can they foretell the future? We have already seen the damage that such options have done to society when young teenagers are expected to know what to choose for their examinations, two or more years ahead, when they are only 14, and many just choose simple subjects that they can easily pass; as easy as pressing a computer button!

Failure is written into the text of government education! How can we change this in our state schools and bring politicians into line with what is actually required, and not what might create a good impression in league tables, which, thirty years ago were supposed to be transformed from the old-fashioned methods put in place long ago?