Cruel To Be Kind

The cat, they say, sat on the mat, while Johnny climbed a tree, when reading books when I was young that’s what was meant to be. Now Johnny, cats, and even mats no longer can we see and, god forbid, the youngsters now would never climb a tree! As life moves on and standards change is everything quite right, as evolution takes a hand do we even need to write? I know, it seems, at school nowadays, they don’t appear to care if spellings wrong or writing’s scrawl or even if kids swear. Reading, ‘riting ‘rythmatic foundations one might say, no longer are the building blocks of what is learned today. With three Rs not important what is it that’s now taught, taking care of number 1 and all else counts for nought? Independence, human rights, as they apply to ‘me’, if you don’t get your every need then scream ‘diversity’. The very things that matter most have now turned on their head and values of our bygone age are very nearly dead. How could we treat our kids this way, it’s us who made the rules, and thinking that we really cared removed some vital tools. For discipline’s essential if we're going to win life's fight and learning needs attention if we’re going to get things right. We cannot blame the children if we do not show the way, at times a nudge is needed when they go too far astray. So bring the bloody cane back and the strap, and many ‘lines’ and teach the little buggers and ignore their constant whines. I am sure that starting caring in this way that we will find that although it seems like cruelty it’s the best way to be kind! Number 1 is primary, that’s the way it is today but with ‘proper’ education could three 'R's return to stay? Ivor G Davies