Bleak young lives.
Posted by Big John on July 31, 2011
Here is another post about young children, but this one definately does not fall into the category of ‘humour’, for it concerns various reports in the press, that on entering school a number of children are unable to communicate, socialise and carry out the most basic of tasks such as holding a pencil. In fact, in extreme cases some children do not even know their own name, or do not recognise it when it is spoken in a normal tone of voice, because at home they only hear it when it is shouted at them.
We are told by the ‘experts‘ that this is the result of poor parenting, for it seems that half of youngsters arrive at infant school with poor communication skills, and this situation is blamed on the low aspirations of parents trapped in poverty, where no member of the family has worked for generations. It would appear that these parents do not bother to talk to, play with or read to their children.
As one who had a happy childhood, albeit in a fairly poor working class family, and later made a living by using his communication skills (and still manages to string a few sentences together), I find myself lost for words and saddened when I read, that when questioned about her child’s inability to speak, one young mother is reported to have said …
…. ”He don’t talk to me so I don’t talk to him”.
Rummuser said
It makes for very sad reading, but I wonder if the parents are really responsible in situations where primary education is universal and compulsory. I suspect that the education system in most countries has deteriorated to abysmal levels. I am sure that you would have seen that happening over the last few decades in the UK too. Here, it is pathetic and if I start to write about the conditions, I can write for the next few years.
Grannymar said
How can you not talk to a child? I never stopped talking to Elly from the moment she was born, even when she was sleeping. I actually taught her to count in French, German and Irish when she was asleep!
Ginnie said
Absolutely incredible…what is happening to our world? I, too, grew up in a middle class (remember the days when we actually had one?) family with little money but a great will to learn and to be able to contribute to our country.
It makes you wonder where these children were in those years between being born and going to school … did the parents just let them fend on their own? Unbelievable !