Humanity and regulation

Why do children and teenagers have to go to school? Answer: "to be moulded into the Government approved homogeneous drone that will disable you to think outside of the prescribed consensus and curriculum. If you think outside of the box, you will fail. If you question anything you are told or undermine any sense of authority, you will fail. You will learn to repeat information instead of learning how to think independently for yourself so that you do not threaten the status quo and norms of society. You will graduate, get a job and pay your taxes in order to perpetuate the corporate system of indentured servitude. "

Currently airing on British television channel C4, is Educating Yorkshire - a documentation of the outcome of cameras being placed in a British secondary school over the period of a year. A secondary school in Essex, the county that I live in, has previously partaken in the programme and it is apparent that there are plans to record various secondary schools across Britain; as the secondary school that my Uncle teaches at, Heathcoate School, based in the sub-urban London district of Chingford, was offered to participate in a series of "Educating Heathcoate". As aforementioned, the schools are offered £15,000 to allow Channel 4 access to record the school for the period of a year. Although my Uncle's school thankfully declined, there are many secondary school's that will happily accept in the hope of receiving positive feedback and boosting publicity for the school. 

However, it seems that although allowing viewers an insight to the running of British Secondary School's may have some mildly humorous aspects, it is in-fact, more alarming than anything else

Tweets under the hashtag #EducatingYorkshire include:

"For the whole programme the teachers defend the bullies and the bullied boy blames himself for reacting to bullies? #EducatingYorkshire"

James Buckley, English actor and musician, tweeted about the programme twice, quoting:

"Watchin #educatingyorkshire wrong mentality, its nt the responsibility of bullied kids 2 learn 2 put up with bad treatment. Punish bullies!"

"It's the schools failure for not stopping the bullying #EducatingYorkshire"

Aisleyne, reality star, actress, columnist and media personality wrote:

"I'm watching Educating Yorkshire on 4+1 and I'm fuming with the dumb blonde bullying that poor boy :( I HATE BULLY's the damage is so painful" - Aisleyne, reality star, actress, media personality and magazine columnist 

Best-selling author and psychologist, John Amaechi OBE said:

"'#EducatingYorkshire is hard to watch... If this is what passes for "handling bullying" (or anger management training) then I despair..." 

Other tweets also include:

"They're punishing him for standing up to his own bullies! #Educating Yorkshire" 

"Watching Educating Yorkshire makes me lose faith in humanity"

It is clear that the way secondary schools are run, both throughout Britain and across the world, is distressing.When entering "school makes me" in Google's search engine, it autocompletes with suggestions of: 

"School makes me depressed"
"School makes me suicidal"

School makes me sad"

and

"School makes me nervous"

Surely this should raise enough alarm and question in order to change the way in which today's youth are educated? 

Children need to be taught about humanity rather than academia.

Children need to be encouraged to be a good person, instead of how to be a successful business owner. 

Children need to be taught how to think independently, instead of how to follow rules and regulations. 

Children need to be educated on culture and sexuality - helping them to disregard all prejudice and discrimination from an early age, instead of algebra.

There needs to be more focus on creative subjects that will allow their minds to grow and create a positive vent for their emotions and feelings, such as the arts and Literature, rather than subjects consisting of  "facts" from fifty thousand years ago. 

Religious Studies should be an option, not compulsory. Appearance needs to be less of a big deal. Why does it matter what a student is wearing, if it is not hindering the performance, mind or learning? Why is it okay for the "ordinary", if you will, students to dye their hair with "natural" colourants such as blondes and browns however the "unusual" students who prefer creative, bolder colours such as reds, pinks, greens and blues aren't allowed? 

This world is so caught up in routine, normality, business, politics and money that the majority of the world's population have forgotten what we are on this Earth for, and also, how long we are on this earth for.

The average person lives for up to 28,385 days. How you wish to spend it is entirely up to you. 

I personally believe we are on this Earth to make it the most pleasant experience for ourselves and those around us. So, bus driver, you can choose not to let the homeless man on the bus because he doesn't have sufficient funds to pay the fare. You're following the rules and regulations handed to you in the guidebook. Well done. But when your time is up - your work is not going to come with you. Your money is not going to come with you. They will continue in the circle of life. Someone else will replace you in your job. Your money will end up at thousands of other banks, in the wallets of thousands of other people, passed from person to person in exchange for goods, services, trade. To end up who know's where? a vending machine, a child's birthday card, a charity donation box... 

But you are your soul; therefore your soul will be accompanying you to the grave, to the beyond, to the heavens or the hells, what ever you believe in. So ask yourself again, what is more important? Following the rules of a job you're most likely only in so that you can continue to exist, or making someone's day and life that bit easier and restoring their faith in humanity?

Man sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. Then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present of future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived. - Dalai Lama 

Share your comments below! 

Do curfews keep teens out of trouble?

It's a widely renown topic of debate: Do curfews keep teens out of trouble and off of the streets? Or does it backfire and result in even more rebellion?

Some believe that by giving teens a fixed curfew of what time they must be home by, whether law enforced such as in many US cities, or simply decided mandatory by their parents or guardians, that it will help to keep teens off of the street and out of trouble as they will be in the safety of their homes where they can be supervised. 

Due to a lot of crime and anti-social behaviour being a result of boredom, perhaps reducing the amount of spare time teenagers possess to hang around on street corners could help to prevent crime and trouble.

However, does trouble really have a time frame? Surely if teenagers wish to do something, they'll go right ahead and do it anyway regardless of what time of day it is?

In fact, some argue that creating a curfew will make teenagers angrier and increase their determination to rebel, as due to a lack of trust from parents and society, they feel that they may as well do something wrong anyway - which is proven in the following statement, as quoted by a teenager:

"As  a teen, I know that if I am going to do something illegal already, then a curfew law will not stop me from doing so. In fact, a curfew makes me upset and actually makes me want to break the law. I do become craftier in my illegal ways to conduct my activities. This law completely back fires on itself."

The Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice and the US Department of Justice all agree that a curfew, in fact, does not lower youth crime rates and interestingly, the number of youth arrests made for breaking curfew laws are greater than the number of youth arrests for any other crime; therefore proving that curfews do not have an effect.

So is it the responsibility of parents to teach teenagers the difference between right and wrong and make sure that they are authoritative enough with their child in order for them to be home on time without having a curfew? Perhaps teaching teenagers elaboration of morals would be more effective than telling them what they can and can't do.

Personally, I believe that setting a law enforced curfew to teenagers is a rather fascist movement to make. The Government already control almost every other aspect of our lives; but the freedom of teenagers? Too far. If a parent wishes to set their child a curfew, that is entirely up to them. However, I for one, would be absolutely livid if a curfew law was enforced in my city. How are teenagers ever meant to prove society wrong when all we are given are motives to prove them right and rebel anyway, seeing as we are already perceived as juvenile delinquents and "ASBO's"? 

What do you think? Are curfews an adequate method of decreasing youth crime and trouble or is it pointless? All comments are welcome!