Todays Youth

Yesterday I took a trip to our local ‘college’ which recently opened. The college offers mainly IT courses and is partly used by the DWP. They send youngsters in the hope they will learn something, take control of their lives and get off the dole.

As I entered the open-plan reception area I noticed how well it was set out. It was brightly painted and welcoming. The area was full of teenage boys who were sat spreadeagled; some were on chairs but most were on the tables. A tutor was among them and the boys were shouting at the tops of their voices. I’d walked in on an argument; the tutor being the recipient.

As I walked through the middle of them I heard one of the boys shouting that his dole money had been stopped. Why I do not know, most likely because he had not been attending, but the next thing I know was that all hell had broken loose and some of the boys trashed the place.

The teacher didn’t know what to do. He left the room and went outside for a cigarette; the boys left and went up towards the shopping centre.

Game over!

And now the reason for me writing about this incident.

I have always been a big believer in punishing our children for being naughty. Children need to be chastised, otherwise how are they to know they have done wrong?

Thanks to the rules and regulations brought in by the present government we are no longer allowed to do this. We are allowed to make the child sit on the naughty step and tell them what a naughty little child they’ve been, but a short sharp slap is no longer acceptable. Apparently it’s classed as violence and bullying.

Well let me tell you this, a short sharp slap never did me any harm. In fact it did me the world of good. It made me think twice before I did, whatever I had done, again.

The boys I saw yesterday are a prime example of everything that is wrong with this country. Unruly, ignorant children, having children. It is time the government bucked its ideas up and brought back discipline and respect.

Until they do it will only get worse.