Parents

Truancy prosecution was LEA’s ‘duty’.

The responsibility of ensuring our children attend school is a joint effort between school and parent. The school tried everything in it’s power to correct the situation and without support from the parent in question, failed. One half of the party did it’s job, the other didn’t. Yes it’s a harsh sentence, but Ms Amos had already broken a parenting order and knew the consequences of her actions.

I totally agree with this sequence of events. Parents are increasingly leniently treated these days, and it’s unfortunate that only the ill-mannered, poorly-educated parents, inflicting the same conditions on their children, make their way into the spotlight.

My sister-in-law is a single mother with four children. Four polite, well-behaved children. She manages, why can’t others? Is the answer simply to take issue with the current generations parents? The parents parents if you will. Where does it trace back to? Is there any point tracing it back as we can’t change the past?

So how do we right the current situation? There is a large section of society who live in contempt of the law and authority, who seem to believe that they can do what they like, and seem to be happy living off the rest of us. And who wouldn’t be? I would be more than happy to receive enough income, topped up with occasional cash jobs, to live a comfortable life. I know where to buy stolen goods, if you live near Glasgow I’m sure you do (no big secret, it’s called the Barras).

Are these the same parents who can be regularly heard to say “It wisnae ma boy!” or “It was good enough for me?” Is this an outcome of the British ailment of settling for less? Why do I need an education when I can live quite happily on handouts, benefits and the goodwill of others?

How do we correct this? I’m willing to make some assumptions here:
1. The people in question are usually poorly educated.
2. Don’t vote.
Thats the only assumptions I need to make. I don’t want to generalise further, not everyone in council housing, or living on benefit is on the take, or poorly educated, and most vote. I’m taking about the core group of people who don’t contribute to society.

They don’t vote, so politicians and political parties need not fear them. So why has no action taken place? I’m quite sure if you asked local councils for a hit list of the offenders, they could produce a large dusty tome with each family member listed in triplicate. Take these lists, and slash their benefits. Why not?

Because you can’t upset the children.

Despite the fact that these parents, who are being given help and opportunities by schools and local authorities, fail to uphold their half of the deal, they are protected to a degree because we don’t want there children to be disturbed or affected. Yet the self same children are being denied an education. Go figure.

The crux of the problem appears to be a lack of understanding. Why do some parents not bother if their children attend school and get an education? Only when we answer that question do we stand a chance of finding a solution.

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Long time blogger, Father of Jack, geek of many things, random photographer and writer of nonsense.

Doing my best to find a balance.

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