Britain has let down young people?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph....-says-Archbishop.html

/// Rioters who took part in the summer’s unrest were expressing “frustrations” felt by many young people, the Archbishop of Canterbury says today. ///

I am fed-up with all these type of excuses being made, to somehow neutralise the seriousness of the rioting and looting that took place.

What about the 'frustrations' felt by the elderly, who struggle to keep their homes warm, worry about the yearly increases in their food and household bills, and then the additional worry that at the end of their days, they may have to sell the house that they have spent all their working life paying for, so as to pay for their care.

Frustrations? these are real frustrations, perhaps while some are still healthy enough, they should also give this rioting and looting a try?

No Dr Williams get it right, 'Britain has let down old people'.

[Messi_Ten]

I agree with the Arch. It was only yesterday that Cameron gave medals to his crooked mates.

That's frustration enough!

[Gromit]

I do not agree with Dr. Williams that the riots were much to do with the fristration of the young. They were the result of one incident of very poor policing, and then a criminal underclass countrywide seizing an opportunity to go on a thieving jamboree.

That is not to say the youth are not being let down. They clearly are. Their job opportunities are very poor. To further their education they have to take out huge loans (probably 20 times what AOG paid for his first house). They are priced out of the housing market, and are highly taxed to pay for the increase in the older population. They have never had it so bad.

[MarkRae]

As a nation, we have completely failed our children. Our once-proud education system must now rank as one of the worst in the Western world. Kids are leaving school these days almost illiterate, innumerate and with scarcely any knowledge of national history. For shame!

[sandyRoe]

A lot of young people seem to be moving from school straight onto the dole. I'd say that Britain has let them down.

[B00]

Perhaps if they taught them the basics Mark, instead of going all tree huggy and teaching them sexual health lessons (because that's clearly working isn't it?), our kids would do a lot better!

I remember once complaining to Elder Mini Boo's secondary school that they weren't correcting her spelling, I was doing it instead, to be told that spelling was unnecessary as long as they got across their meaning- I was flabbergasted!

Sorry to digress slightly, but it does sort of tie in with why our children appear to be a generation of illiterates now!

[ummmm]

Being friends with my teenagers friends on Facebook...I can honestly say that I'm more concerned about the adults..!

[mushroom25]

on a practical level, what employer is going to take on a near-illiterate, capable of communicating only in monosyllables or street patois, and have to train them to any sort of level from which they would become useful, when they can employ eastern europeans who come ready trained and equipped, and work straight out of the box?

[B00]

If that's all they've got to choose from mushroom, especially if all the applicants are like that, then they're left with no choice are they?

[Gromit]

There have always been children leaving school who could not read adequately or spell. It is wrong to state that youth leaving school are (all or mostly) unable to read, write and spell. The truth is that 84% can do that adequately. That is not to say the 16% that cannot is acceptable, it isn't, but it not significantly higher than it has ever been.

[B00]

http://rt.com/news/uk...erate-youth-jobs-277/

[daisya]

I think this country has failed a lot of people with its immigration policy and cowtowing to Europe - none of it helps the citizens here, children or adults...we need people to stand up to them all and say what is good for us as a nation, not what they think is good for us.

[Kromovaracun]

I'm certainly convinced that the riots have wider social causes, but I don't really feel qualified to speculate on what those are - I'd rather listen to people who are. What I will say is that I'm getting pretty sick of people claiming that social explanations somehow diminish responsibility or take blame away from the perpetrators. They don't do any such thing - and anyone who argues that they do (including, sometimes, those who propose them) are simply wrong.

People, as to their discredit they often do, appear to assume that trying to analyse something in detail for the purpose of understanding it is tantamount to empathising with it or excusing it - which is, frankly, extremely stupid and betrays an utter failure to think properly. The riots were abhorrent, shameful and shocking events - nobody disagrees on that. But the way that our society has reacted has been extremely disappointing - it's been an ugly catalogue of unconsidered, knee-jerk reactions from all sides which are guaranteed to get us nowhere. And I dearly hope history remembers it.

[Gromit]

Employers now are lazy and tight fisted. Once upon a time, employers gave adequate training and apprenticeships. They took on young people and moulded them into the employees they needed. But today, our manfacturing and retail is mostly owned by global, huge multinationals who don't really want to spend money on their employees.

[daisya]

Employers aren't encouraged to pay for apprenticeships nor youngsters encouraged to take them if they are imo. Too many young people want celebritiy life styles so the real jobs when available don't get taken...it seems to me that young people are brought up on fantasy in most directions which carry on into their personal lives. Government needs to reduce National Insurance cons too to help produce employment but they don't seem to want to do that as far as I can see.

[Gromit]

BOO

Russia today. Always reliable.

Even if you believe their 20% figure (the real figure is 16%) that still leaves the majority 80% who can read and write properly. And the article confirms that the figure has not changed in the ladt 50 years.

[jno]

you're not wrong, B00. I once had my flabber gasted when jno jnr was docked a mark in an essay for writing "responsible" when his tutor thought it should have been "responsable". And that was for a BA in English at university.

In my day if you couldn't spell, you didn't take English degrees. Now you teach them.

[B00]

I'll admit defeat Groms, but that's only because I'm feeling slightly delicate and Prince Caspian has started and I wanna watch it, but had to chuckle at...

"ladt 50 years."

Happy New Year! xxxx

;-)

[derekpara]

Happy New Year to you, too, lovely BOO.

xxx

D

[seadogg]

Part of the current problem is that the expectations of young people have risen
along with those of the rest of society whereas the current economic climate mitigates against these expectations being realised.