We have a term in the UK that I dislike with a passion. The term is NEET. Not neat as in tidy, or neat as in "wow, that's cool", but NEET as in the acronym for Not in Employment, Education or Training. It is a term used to describe school leavers who find themselves unemployed after finishing their compulsory education. There are currently more NEETS than ever before. 855,000 of them today. This is partly due to recession, but mainly to do with the way in which we have failed them. The people who made up the term NEET are the same ones that came up with the idea of non-competitive sports, new ways of learning to read, and want to allow children to create their own education. Let me tell you, these people are dangerous.
A few years ago, I was asked to take over the management of a training company providing apprenticeships to 16 - 21 year olds. The company had been badly run and was losing money as though the bank account had a ruptured artery. It should have been a licence to print money, funded, as it was, by the public purse. The first thing I had to do was to get rid of the "no - hopers" who would never be able to complete the course. Then I had to slim down the staff numbers because we had fewer learners, yes, learners, not students. Then I tried to recruit more learners. The calibre was appalling. I mean, truly shocking. I was talking to 16 year olds who couldn't spell, were completely unable to do simple arithmetic, even with the aid of a calculator, honestly, 17 + 34 was beyond them.
What had they been doing at school I wondered? The answer became clear when I tried to teach them "Application of Number". That's practical mathematics to you and me. They kept stating in a robitically monotonous way that their teachers hadn't made them do it, and couldn't they go for a break. You have to remember that I had 12 - 15 in a class from 10 different schools. This wasn't one bad school, this was a selection from a 20 mile radius of the training centre. They really expected the state to look after them. Not one had given any thought to what would happen when they left school and the vast majority were there because the Job Centre had told them to come along. But in respect of the state caring from them they were partly right. After all, here they were on a government funded scheme. OK, they didn't want to be there, but the state was nannying them along at 16, 17 and 18 years old, and they were getting paid £30 per week to attend.
Now if you are the kind of guy who likes to wear plaid socks with sandals, or the kind of woman who has hairy legs and armpits, you might like to stop reading now. There are a few facts coming up that you might have you choking on your tofu.
a. There are no prizes for coming second.
b. Left to their own devices, children will play and fool around, not pick up a text book and start reading.
c. There is no substitute for learning certain things by heart. Tables, basic spelling and how to approach common mathematical problems.
d. Children need discipline. You cannot just cave in to them when they decide they don't want to learn a particular subject.
It is a sad fact that, no matter how cosseted you are at school, sooner or later, you will have to enter the big wide world and start fending for yourself. Your boss will not promote you on the basis that you always buy a round at office parties. No, he or she will be looking for you to shine. You will be competing with your colleagues.
Alistair Darling, standing in for Gordon, who is still on holiday, said
"At the end of last year we had record numbers of young people in education and training," he said. "We will, this September, be able to guarantee 16- and 17-year-olds education or training.
"And from the beginning of next year we will be able to guarantee people who have been out of work for a year either a job, training or further education.
"All of that is important, so we don't repeat the mistakes that were made 20 years ago, where a whole generation of people were lost. We are determined that will not happen again."
Alistair, we have already failed them. They are so poorly educated, nobody wants to employ them. Their attitude is so bad, nobody wants to employ them. Companies would rather employ immigrants with a good education and attitude, despite the difficulties of language and culture that this presents.
Unless we dramatically change the way education is presented, the problem will only worsen. And it needs a total shakeup. I have my ideas, but that is probably left for another day.
I spoke yesterday about the government's ban and fine policy. Today they have announced plans to hand out fixed penalty charges to careless drivers. 3 points on the licence and a £60 fine. Fortunately the Magistrates are contesting this idea on the grounds that they have greater powers to impose a punishment that fits the severity of the offence. They also state that the Police will doubtlessly just hand out tickets rather than take offenders to court because it will minimise the paperwork. Of course the Police will choose this route. They have too much paperwork already, and what with all the new offences created in the last ten years, it is a wonder they can cope. Not to mention the fact that a driver gratefully accepting 3 points and £60 instead of the possible £5000 and driving ban that a Magistrate might pass down, will keep the Police detection figures at the top end.
Alistair. If you want to make a real difference whilst Gordon is on holiday. Call an election!
