Monday, December 31, 2007
Empathy, truly a gift.
To feel, the grieve of someone else's loss, the joy of someone else's new baby, the pride of someone else's success and the heartache of some one else's loneliness, comes from the gift of empathy and keeps us in touch with family, community and humanity.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Children who can talk, can be taught to read and write.
Four out of ten children left primary school in 2007 without being able to read or write, Government figures show.
120,000 children could not read properly while almost 140,000 were unable to add up. The Government has failed to meet its own target, to get 85 per cent of 11-year-olds in England up to Level 4 by 2006, despite significant investment in improving schools.
Bright children often go on to university and leave their local communities, to rightfully pursue their careers.
But what about the children who leave school without any basic skills, they cannot read sufficiently to apply for a job and cannot do basic sums to be responsible for the money they do receive. These children are not socially mobile and therefore cannot take advantage of the opportunities most of us take for granted.
Whilst many rub along without any real hope or aspiration, some end up in the criminal justice process, ignored by their parents and punished by the system, only to continue to hurt the very community which nurtured them.
We need to invest as much in the academic basics as we do in academic excellence for our children. If we continue to fail in this basic necessity, we let our communities down as much as we let our children down.
I do not know, of a single child, born in England, who has failed to learn and articulate the basic English language, before they reach the age of five. In some cases children from the most deprived backgrounds have mastered one of the hardest languages to learn. Yet we find it acceptable, that these same children, cannot be taught to read and write basic English, after eleven years of schooling.
This is a sad and disgraceful reflection on our sophisticated society and our schools, who have failed dismally to stimulate our most deprived children through out eleven expensive years of wasted opportunities.
If we truly wish to remove poverty in our society, the battle must start with equipping all our children with the basic skills to communicate effectively within their communities, the rest is easy.
120,000 children could not read properly while almost 140,000 were unable to add up. The Government has failed to meet its own target, to get 85 per cent of 11-year-olds in England up to Level 4 by 2006, despite significant investment in improving schools.
Bright children often go on to university and leave their local communities, to rightfully pursue their careers.
But what about the children who leave school without any basic skills, they cannot read sufficiently to apply for a job and cannot do basic sums to be responsible for the money they do receive. These children are not socially mobile and therefore cannot take advantage of the opportunities most of us take for granted.
Whilst many rub along without any real hope or aspiration, some end up in the criminal justice process, ignored by their parents and punished by the system, only to continue to hurt the very community which nurtured them.
We need to invest as much in the academic basics as we do in academic excellence for our children. If we continue to fail in this basic necessity, we let our communities down as much as we let our children down.
I do not know, of a single child, born in England, who has failed to learn and articulate the basic English language, before they reach the age of five. In some cases children from the most deprived backgrounds have mastered one of the hardest languages to learn. Yet we find it acceptable, that these same children, cannot be taught to read and write basic English, after eleven years of schooling.
This is a sad and disgraceful reflection on our sophisticated society and our schools, who have failed dismally to stimulate our most deprived children through out eleven expensive years of wasted opportunities.
If we truly wish to remove poverty in our society, the battle must start with equipping all our children with the basic skills to communicate effectively within their communities, the rest is easy.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Happy New Year
A belated Happy Christmas and my very best wishes for a peaceful 2008. I know my reader is out there, waiting with baited breath to read every word I scribble. Sorry, I just had a small brain fart there, fantasising again.
I'm not one for new year resolutions, as they rarely get resolved, but this year I will try and get my head down to a couple of projects. Sorry again, I can't tell my reader what they are, I might fail dismally in my quest and you will know how badly, which will encourage you to get a life and no longer visit my blog.
Enough of this rambling rubbish, I truly wish my lone blog reader whatever, he or she desires for 2008. To anyone else who stubbles into my little, self opinionated world, I apologise ,for my errors in spelling, grammar and composition.
If you understand what I am saying and agree, thank you. If you understand and disagree thanks for stopping by. Whatever your views, good luck in the coming year.
I'm not one for new year resolutions, as they rarely get resolved, but this year I will try and get my head down to a couple of projects. Sorry again, I can't tell my reader what they are, I might fail dismally in my quest and you will know how badly, which will encourage you to get a life and no longer visit my blog.
Enough of this rambling rubbish, I truly wish my lone blog reader whatever, he or she desires for 2008. To anyone else who stubbles into my little, self opinionated world, I apologise ,for my errors in spelling, grammar and composition.
If you understand what I am saying and agree, thank you. If you understand and disagree thanks for stopping by. Whatever your views, good luck in the coming year.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The infamous, A66
Across the Pennine backbone, you wend your stony way,
Twisting in and over, and through valley, village and dale.
From Cumbria down to Yorkshire, drilled into lakeside hills,
Beauty either side of you, carved by rural stills.
Souls shed their mortal coils upon your deadly route,
Never heeding the warning, their feeble cries stand mute.
Your menace in your silence, your patience ever alert.
Ready for your next victim, never shying to inflict hurt.
Safe from you’re ready stings in the heart of Holmedale,
From my window, I see your industry and witness another tale.
Your dignity is in your presence, set among the English lanes,
But some day soon this deadly beast, the A66 will be tamed.
John R. Bacon
Copyright ©2001
Twisting in and over, and through valley, village and dale.
From Cumbria down to Yorkshire, drilled into lakeside hills,
Beauty either side of you, carved by rural stills.
Souls shed their mortal coils upon your deadly route,
Never heeding the warning, their feeble cries stand mute.
Your menace in your silence, your patience ever alert.
Ready for your next victim, never shying to inflict hurt.
Safe from you’re ready stings in the heart of Holmedale,
From my window, I see your industry and witness another tale.
Your dignity is in your presence, set among the English lanes,
But some day soon this deadly beast, the A66 will be tamed.
John R. Bacon
Copyright ©2001
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