23-05-2011, 02:07 PM
It is interesting to compare the schooling nowadays to when the likes of Chris and I were at school. There was no question of whether or not we went to school - we went, and in my opinion, a school uniform made a difference to a pupils attitude to school. It imparted a sense of loyalty. Although classes were large, typically 40 - 45, discipline was pretty good as the kids learnt the basic rules of life at home. Not any more. I find the majority of the younger generation now are arrogant and have no respect for anyone or anything. This can only be because the basics of living in society are not taught at home in their formative years so really, it's not the kids fault, it's the previous 2 generations' fault as what starts as a "little naughtiness" ends up as a serious social problem. Added to this, the human rights thing puts a real mockers on things. Anything more than basic Human Rights should be earned, not taken for granted. We have a right to live and breath and to be free from bondage and free to follow whatever faith we chose. But beyond that, we must make some effort to gain our position in society. The welfare state is a brilliant idea but run by people who seem to have no sense of logic! Why, if you get a job, your benefit payments are reduced by normally, more than your net earnings! Surely, any sensible person realizes that the benefits must be cut but by less than net earnings so that one is better off by working!
A relative of mine's son had a child with his girlfriend. They split and the girlfriend couldn't look after the child (2yrs) so he was taken into care and fostered. The son's mother, when she heard about this, immediately said that she would look after the child. She receives benefits and tax credits and is not well off. Eventually, Social Services agreed that she could look after the child so that he didn't need to be fostered - great! HOWEVER, because she is family, she is not entitled to any supplementary payment although she is saving the taxpayer the cost of the foster home. She can't get the child benefit as the mother will continue to receive it for another 6 weeks although she has no statutory obligation to support the child - and so it goes on (so do I). She also had to make the child available for the mother to visit every day but could not leave the child alone with her or the child's father. This meant that she had to be at home every day at a given time to facilitate the mother's visit (human rights).
What I am saying is that the whole system in this wonderful country of ours has been c*cked up by a succession of governments who have no idea of what real life is all about. It is no wonder that we're loosing both the plot and the fantastic engineering base that we used to have. No education means no engineers and Chris is right about the continent. When I lived and worked in Germany, people were impressed when I said that I was an engineer - not like here where it is almost a dirty word. Without engineering, there can be no service industry as there will be nothing to service and no money to pay for that service - it's ironic that the expression "service industry" suggests that it mends things and keeps them going. In fact it does quite the opposite.
Rant over.
A relative of mine's son had a child with his girlfriend. They split and the girlfriend couldn't look after the child (2yrs) so he was taken into care and fostered. The son's mother, when she heard about this, immediately said that she would look after the child. She receives benefits and tax credits and is not well off. Eventually, Social Services agreed that she could look after the child so that he didn't need to be fostered - great! HOWEVER, because she is family, she is not entitled to any supplementary payment although she is saving the taxpayer the cost of the foster home. She can't get the child benefit as the mother will continue to receive it for another 6 weeks although she has no statutory obligation to support the child - and so it goes on (so do I). She also had to make the child available for the mother to visit every day but could not leave the child alone with her or the child's father. This meant that she had to be at home every day at a given time to facilitate the mother's visit (human rights).
What I am saying is that the whole system in this wonderful country of ours has been c*cked up by a succession of governments who have no idea of what real life is all about. It is no wonder that we're loosing both the plot and the fantastic engineering base that we used to have. No education means no engineers and Chris is right about the continent. When I lived and worked in Germany, people were impressed when I said that I was an engineer - not like here where it is almost a dirty word. Without engineering, there can be no service industry as there will be nothing to service and no money to pay for that service - it's ironic that the expression "service industry" suggests that it mends things and keeps them going. In fact it does quite the opposite.
Rant over.
