Have you lost faith in your religion?

                This is a question I would like to pose on a general
               theme and not pointed at any single religion or belief.

During these times of financial hardship for many and society losing the respect it once had for previous generations, where is our moral and ethic guidance coming from? Are spiritual leaders vocal enough and if people do not visit them are they going to schools work places even shops and pubs to give guidance to the young we are very nearly losing sight of?

I feel the silence is deafening and there should be a Multi-Faith approach with a serious and strong message getting all ideas across to primary school children with a caveat that it is for them to decide what questions
they should be asking and quite how to deal with things in life the right way for the benefit of all!
Very often people will turn to religion to try and handle adversity or some tragedy that has occurred when hitherto they may not have felt the need to pray or understand before and I often wonder why those very much worse off then us in 3rd world countries some, starving and looking out on a bleak landscape both physically and emotionally, still find it in their hearts to believe and hold on to hope. How do they afford religion when we seem unable to?

My Father used to say never call the Lords name in vein, as being in the RAF during WW2 he knew when he called out he meant it and whilst I am not as religious as he was I did honour his wish and took from this that when you are alone and facing dire straits there may just be someone there to help!

Education, Education, Education.......

..Or so Tony Blair's mantra went all those years ago, sadly superseded by the now children's Minister, who rather like the equality minister this is a bit of a misnomer and whilst he has the right name, she must resent hers for having 'man' in it!  Ed Balls is wrong to make cut backs in education as my first blog says we should invest in or children and more over their education as it follows this will improve their opportunities in life!
I attended a school reunion some years ago and asked one of my former school friends why was it, when ever we did something wrong we were threatened with expulsion, he pointed out as we were in the bottom class, there was nowhere else to go and at that point realised the report sent from primary school to secondary school condemns you to your station in life.

To this end I would propose a rethink in education, as for me when a child opens their eyes for the first time they should be entitled to all the same opportunities as any other. I had always intended  for my children to touch every musical instrument and have a go at every sport at least once, then see what academic prowess they had so let them get on with what came easy but supported them in the more difficult studies, if they then 'choose' to be a Footballer, Rock Star or even a Truck driver thats fine just get the mortarboard on their head first! Better education = more choices (simples), this is where I believe schools should have a rethink.

Instead of a child attending Primary school and muddle through till they are 11, then  have to live with the consequences thereafter, each term a child's abilities should be assessed and if they are strong in a subject let them make their own way through it, if there is a weaker topic give them access to all the resources they need to come up to speed till they reach the final year of Primary school. Then rather then being thrown to the wolves that final year or indeed what would normally be the first year of secondary school should be something special.

When I left school and went on to collage I felt almost immediately I was in a different world, you were spoken to and respected more as an adult then a silly school kid and this is what I suggest for the 'special year' a preparation of what is to come so not only do they follow the perceived curriculum they are assessed so any short fall is addressed and they have one last chance to excel in what they may have struggled with previously. I do get weary of hearing how underprivileged , inner city 'Boys' do not get it when it comes to learning when maybe it is the school that should be more engaging and making lessons more interesting and relevant and not always from the screen of a PC. Some youngsters may not be destined for a life in academia but they may be a craftsman so their secondary education could be geared in the direction of an apprenticeship with a collage course, Little Johnny may be the next Beckham whilst Sally could be the next Vanessa May, Fred could be a top plumber, whilst Elle could be a teacher and so on !!

(Shaun Bailey is a wise head on young shoulders and his
softly spoken words on the young should be taken very
seriously indeed)
This preparatory year should also equip 11 year olds for what they could face in the coming terms as today they are expected to face more and more peer and media pressure, and at this age with their own PCs mobiles and what they consider boy/girl friends if they were given sex education then, it may have more relevance then trying to instruct 5 or 7 year olds the same. There should also be a class of social skills helping many young people to know how to relate to each other as well as adults and to instill the true meaning of respect not just because they heard the word on the latest rap tune! Oh and one final point I believe all children should have access to swimming from an early age not only so they could get themselves out of trouble if they fall in a river, but the healthy activity should keep them more fit then their current stagnant lifestyle in front of PC, TV and game screens!
I was 8 years old when I first heard Dr. Martin Luther-King ask us to".... judge a man by his character....."
                                                    So lets build character!  

"The key is just getting educated and, before they sign something, they fully understand it"

                         Advice to young boxers from Lennox Lewis on contracts

    Why don't you punch Lennox on the nose....with your cursor of course?
                                               (See picture below)

............JUSTICE4CHILDREN.............: Saturday World Review!

............JUSTICE4CHILDREN.............: Saturday World Review!

Saturday World Review!

On all future Saturdays it is my intention to bring you news from my correspondents around the world!
When I first entered the murky world of Family Law I thought I would seek others solutions to this, so hit the PC but was horrified the same problems exisit all over! Except Pakistan it would appear, do you remember the story of the father who took her daughter home after seperation from his Scottish wife, as this was his daughters wish and the Pakistan authorities up help her wish, have we something to learn there?
We all need to lobby for change and whilst UK residence can hit my write to your MP button here for other countries ruled by Her Majesty the Queen, such as Canada where things are currently worse thenin the UK, in Australia the courts are a little more open but far from ideal, and whilst in the US they have it much the same as in the UK with State and County variations, and I know not a *Commonwealth country but President Obama and the First Lady did appear to get on well with our constitutionate monarch during this years G20 summit, whilst snubbing our lame-duck Premiere!So I recommend we all send a letter to Her Majesty in the hope she has a quiet word in the ears of  Harper, Rudd, Obama and err Brown as this travisty cannot be allowed to continue! *(How come politicians never talk about commonwealth, is it because they do not want us to have it?) To this end I offer a template letter which you can adjust to fit your concerns and identify which country you concern exsists in and as I have you will find sympathy from this remarkable Lady who not only has devoted her entire adult life to serving the public, but is also a very wise Mother, Grandmother and Great-grandmother. I believe Grandparents could be the answer to all this according to current thinking here in the UK!

Her Majesty the Queen
Buckingham Palace
London
SW1A 1AA
United Kingdom

Madam,

Re: Commonwealth a common goal!

I write to your Majesty on a matter of a serious nature that affects many thousands of children and families in the UK and countless more throughout the world.

Many Children are forcefully, but often wrongly separated from their parents as a result of ill informed Family Court Judgements, which are relevant too heavily on spurious reports from the Social Services.

The resulting disorder for that child and the family involved is most evident later when the child often neglected the supervision and guidance of a father is often found to be anti social and against the moral authority of schools and ultimately the police.


At this time when the Law Lords relocate to the new Supreme Court designed to give the public opportunity to appeal these failed judgements I am of the belief it is the time when the moral of this law is re-examined to enable children to have right of access to each and both of their parents, where it is safe to do so, and the prejudices that have blighted this law be stopped forthwith.

The social service and the damaging CAFCASS to be prevented from reporting to court and for family doctors (GPs) and indeed the schools to be called upon to report on the child’s welfare as they have a clearer insight and more intimate relationship then social workers who make random snap shot inspections, they should concentrate on Child Welfare rather then tote for business by contributing to the problems in the Family Court.

The time has come for a levelling of the playing field so a child has equal access to both parents’ and for those parents to exercise their obligations under their parental responsibilitie’s and state intervention to be encouraged to contribute to this end rather then perpetuate the problems as they do presently.


I hope Your Majesty is able to consider these proposals and pass that view on to those who can make a difference to a child, a parent and society as a whole.

I have the honour to remain, Madam, Your Majesty’s humble and obedient servant.

Daveyone.
 
 I am greatful to my Canadian correspondent for his contribution to this blog! 
 
  

Children are our future,invest in them wisely!

Whenever I see that young face in a blue jumper looking up from the newspaper, I see two small milk teeth and realise he never had a chance to grow a full set, and just wonder how many of his 440 days of life those eyes did NOT cry?
Baby Peter was murdered, what part of that does Lord Justice Hughes not understand? The 3 people Peter had no alternative but to put his 'trust' in, as he surely could not run to another family member or a neighbour or even phone Childline, as they were 'responsible' for his care but they betrayed that trust with systematic torture and abuse, not a fall down the stairs or walk into a door!
As any parent will tell you if your child cry's out, even if you think they are joshing, you still take the time to make sure they are OK! So how on earth can this poor innocent soul sustain 50+ injuries and so called professionals could not spot one with the same number of visits as he had injuries? So to this end I believe Sharon Shoesmith who was ultimately responsible should not be windging about a loss of her lucrative job, she should be thanking her lucky stars she is not being prosecuted for neglect and dereliction of duty as I surely would if, at the wheel of a 40 to truck. I ploughed into a car killing the occupants and whilst my momentary lapse of concentration also would show no intent, as in this case, I would still expect to receive a 6 to 24 month sentence!
Sadly this story is only the most tragic tip of a far deeper failure affecting Social Services throughout the land and this poor system touches every council to a varying degree and whilst Ed Balls is content to make cut backs on Education on the one hand, he will throw in the region of £800,000 at each council just to employ more social workers into the failed system rather then the reform of working practice he assured us of in the wake of the Baby Peter, Victoria Climbe and Khyra Ishaq horror stories besides the ones that never make the National headlines!
It should also be noted that Family Law Court Judges rely too heavily in my view (and many others) on reports from this self same industry of incompetence so children are going into care on the first visit (unlike Peter) just because a neighbour has complained of a dog barking in the house nearby, and whilst cruelty was never proved the small daughter has been lost in the irreversible, it seems, system ('Jenny' on the south coast). The judge never makes a judgement as they cannot enforce their own court orders anyway but they have become and administrative extension to this appalling law. It should also be noted that OFSTED gave Haringay Council a clean bill of health the week Baby Peter died but, but had to back track very rapidly with a damming report soon afterwards;

HOW MUCH LONGER WILL THIS BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE?

My inaugural blog on this subject is dedicated to my friend the late Ian Mackay who supported me as a McKenzie friend when the money ran out in my case, and worked so hard to see a change in this failure of a system, He is the first person to speak in the following film.