We have been increasingly concerned about the growing number of issues recently indicating our society is at risk, for example:
- 1 in 5 women have been sexually assaulted since age 16;
- Increasing violent crime, particularly knife crime;
- 14 million people live in poverty including 30% children;
- As well as the social damage and significant economic impact the cost of family breakdown to the tax payer is £47 billion.
We did some research and found this all stems from so much fear and anger in our lives today – people believe they are powerless. This is down to a lack of personal, social, emotional and mental health skills, which is a result of an education system mesmerised by grades and school tables.
Lack of personal responsibility
This lack of ability of people to take responsibility for themselves has been gradually increasing over the last 50 years or so. The Government needs to take responsibility for this situation, which could literally blow up in their faces, if the fear and anger spills out onto the streets.
With fewer policemen and army personnel, tired nurses and doctors could the NHS – or anyone – cope with the devastation? Our society is at risk, something dramatically different needs to change, particularly in education, where prevention can start. There’s a lack of personal empowerment and the most effective way is to create a culture change in schools. By starting to deliver personal development tools and techniques into groups of secondary schools.
Empower students, teachers and parents together
At Key Stage 3 students are looking at their options and future careers, in principle, together with their teachers and parents, however this doesn’t happen enough in practice. We need to make this a legal requirement and empower teachers, parents and students together. It’s simple, but not quick nor easy but as cohorts of student’s progress through their school experience, the whole school will be impregnated with a ‘personal responsibility’ culture.
Apart from our society being at risk, this is going to be more important in the 4th Industrial Revolution, where new skills will be a requirement. In addition young people will positively impact their community, work places and life exponentially.
More details on a way forward are here.
