Oh, my, this is such a dreadful idea, I’m amazed it saw the light of day rather then being stifled somewhere between brain and mouth.
Sir Michael Wilshaw called for an army of “good citizens” to be given financial incentives to wake problem families up in the morning and make sure the children are fed and sent to school.
Is this moron for real? Really? Doesn’t the thought of unexpected consequences even pass within a parsec of what passes for the brain that he keeps between his ears? Is he really that thick?
Okay, if I wanted a black eye, I could go across the road and knock on my neighbours’ doors and tell them to get their kiddywinks to school – although, to be fair they do, but run with it – that is always assuming that I am paying attention to what they are up to, as opposed to concentrating on what I am supposed to be doing – such as getting myself ready for work.
So, this gigantic twat Wilshaw wants me to take time out to spy on my neighbours and then, seeing that they are not getting their children to school on time, to take it upon myself to correct them in the error of their ways. I can tell you now that such an approach would be as welcome as a bowl of cold vomit – and I don’t blame them. Their children, their business, not mine.
Sir Michael said that while social services must improve, families and communities must also take responsibility for ensuring that children are brought up properly.
No, it is not up to the “community”, it is up to parents and no one else. We seem to be entering an age where the state expects us to all spy on each other and then do its dirty work for it. It is a terrible, terrible idea and the last time that it was tried, it all went very badly for everyone involved. Yet these imbeciles learn nothing from history.
“How do you financially incentivise those people to get up in the morning, knock on the neighbour’s door and say ‘your children are not up yet, they have not had their breakfast yet, why aren’t you taking them to school’.”
You don’t. Not unless you are planning a massive increase in the A&E budget.
Bill Esterson the Labour M, remarked: “You would certainly get a reaction – an accusation of interference, wouldn’t you.”
And that has to be the understatement of the year.
But he insisted: “We need good people to stand up and be counted and not to shy away from being good citizens and doing more.”
“That has been my experience, once you identify people who want to do more in their societies, who want to be better citizens by helping others that becomes the standard.”
No, what you get is an army of interfering prodnosed busybodies. It worked for the Stasi and the Gestapo, but I had hoped that we were better than that. Silly me.
Just when you thought you’d heard it all….
Twattery knows no bounds these days.
As Einstein once famously observed, the difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.
It’s not a new idea, just a variation of an old one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knocker-up
Though it must be said those “clients” wanted to be woken up.
Shirley this is a piss take?
So…our hypothetical Mr Good Citizen knocks on the door of Feckless Mum and says, “I’ve been watching your children…”
What could possibly go wrong?
Could be nice little earner. Mrs A wakes Mrs B’s kids who is away waking Mrs C’s kids who is away waking Mrs D’s kids, all the way back to Mrs Z waking Mrs A’s kids. All of them being financially incentivised to be good neighbours.
yes, that is a supremely twattish idea and devoid of any merit. Well spotted.
“Bill Esterson the Labour M”
James Bond’s boss? Or should that be “MP”?
We’re already pay such scum to stay in bed. The solution is simple – dock benefits if their kids don’t get to school on time.
You cannot help but get the impression the doctors have gone on holiday and left the asylum unlocked.
Not often that the Grauniad and Longrider are in agreement!
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/23/good-citizen-school-monitors-problem-families-truancy
It does happen occasionally. Stopped clocks and all that.
It should be absolutely no business of the state’s whether or not somebody’s kids go to school. In my opinion it shouldn’t even be that much of a concern for the school so long as the kids make the necessary grades in any assessments (and if they don’t, through non-attendance, the school’s maximum course of action should be expulsion for the equivalent of “breach of contract”). Forcing unwilling and/or disruptive kids into school doesn’t necessarily make them learn but it almost always greatly hinders the learning of everybody else.
It would be nice to see the whole attitude to schooling change from “time served” to “gained the necessary skills and knowledge”, though sadly it seems to be moving more in the opposite direction – towards a prolonged, tedious indoctrination process.
Yet another example of not making people responsible for themselves, and state interference.
If “Good citizens” were to “Help” problem families in the way suggested it would probably increase the queues at A&E with broken bones and black eyes.
Ridiculous, but up to the usual political interference we have come to expect from these clowns.