Stop attacking schools for the actions of a group that 'society' has spawned

I was saddened to read an article in the Herald today that reported  that some individuals have labelled Avondale College as being insensitive to those victims of  the Roast Busters and other bad teenage behaviours. All school will have students who engage in inappropriate behaviours, many of them outside school and they can only have an 'influence' at best on out of school behaviours, even less so now, in the age of instant communication with 'others' all around the world. Yes, it is true that the actions of some students may not be addressed, simply because of the shear number of presenting issues that schools face on a daily basis. To the best of their abilities and resources, schools respond, but we often hear disgruntled parents lambasting their local school because 'issues' have not been dealt with to the level that parents require or wish for. Schools reflect society and they receive the students that homes send; often searching for a balance between the parents' rights to bring up their children with the demands that the law places on school and other institutions. If schools delve too far into what many parents see as their responsibilities, then they raise the ire of one group, then if they do not intervene on other occasions, they equally anger another group for not acting soon enough. Schools are therefore caught in the middle, every day as young people bully, put up pages on Face Book and other social media and then reap the results. It is true that many of these 'postings' go way beyond the reasonable and are instantly available to an audience that surpasses the intent of the original 'poster.' It is hard enough for schools to process what happens in school, never lone what happens outside or on the net!
If we wish to change the behaviours of young men  then we cannot leave that responsibility to the schools alone. It is too easy to lay blame on the schools of New Zealand and elsewhere. When we see the problem as one based on society as a whole and seek collaborative approaches that involve all groups and look closely at what has led to this situation, then maybe we have a chance to reverse what has gone so horribly wrong for so many young people, who are after all the parents of the future. Does that not scare you, if we leave parenting and educating to 'chance' and monetary driven policies!?
www.authorneilcoleman.com

Holly Chase: Maybe I should follow your example---'recycle, recycle and lets do it again!

I thought that Holly was a really good example of what used to happen. People didn't throw away perfectly good clothing in the past. They passed it down to younger siblings or at least sent it to Op-shops, to begin new life in the loving hands or an ordering 'body.'
Given the Bariatric surgery journey for the last 7months of my life I have to yet again decide what to do with 'mark three' of my wardrobe. When I looked at the bulging wardrobe this morning I had trouble finding more than a third of it that doesn't make me look like a scarecrow. I guess it will be online shopping again over the next few weeks and figuring our what to do with clothing that in some cases only been worn about 4 times. What is a bit disappointing is that I really like some of the items hanging there, almost screaming out to me that I 'don't love them anymore.' I gently remind them that the only thing that is lost is a load of fat and that I shall endeavour to find them good homes. I won't subject them to the Trade Me route as that has just costs me money as people don't follow through on their bids--lazy buggers! Imagine how a nice jacket feels to be singled out as 'desirable' and then 'left at the alter.' So, I guess it will be give away time again and then I shall 'replace, replace and again replace; this time in the knowledge that I that I think I have finally settled on a good weight for me. So Holly, thanks for the inspiration. Maybe I shall check out the Op-shops when I take some of my stuff down to them.
www.authorneilcoleman.com