The ancient Greeks and Romans no doubt complained
about their teenagers. After all, it has long been a tradition for
grown-ups to believe their own generation was better behaved. Little
surprise then, that in today’s Britain adults insist young people have
less respect for the law than they did.
No longer a law unto themselves
So is this just another case of hypocrisy from those
who conveniently forget their own youthful antics? Or this time, do the
grown-ups have a point? Do our young people really care less about rules
and regulations than ever before?
High levels of youth crime along with images of
children throwing rocks at fire engines and ambulances suggest there is
indeed a serious problem. The judiciary has begun to pilot
Scotland’s first youth court to target persistent young offenders.
But the experts cannot agree on the facts, and so we
end up with a wide range of opinions. However, there are some opinions
we should value more than others. For example, the views of experienced
teachers who have spent 30 years or more in the classroom and have "seen
it all before", are well worth listening to.
Worryingly, a sizeable number of such teachers seem to
agree that this time things really are different and that a disturbingly
high number of youngsters display selfish and disrespectful attitudes
that do not bode well for the years ahead.
There is no shortage of explanations for this
depressing state of affairs. Some point to a breakdown of traditional
family life while others blame television and ask how youngsters fed on
a diet of soap opera and reality TV can be expected to develop a proper
sense of values.
Others point to the dwindling influence of religion
with its simple, no-nonsense guidelines on right and wrong.
Others still focus on schools and blame a move away
from strict rules to a greater reliance on compromise and negotiation
between pupils and teachers.
Whatever the reason, if youngsters do indeed lack
respect for the law, then this is a problem we urgently need to address.
The answer, of course, is obvious: teach children the difference between
right and wrong! Unfortunately, this is much easier said than done.
Many years ago, as a new student teacher, my
first-ever lesson set out ambitiously to show a group of 14-year-olds at
one of Edinburgh’s top secondary schools why racism is obviously evil.
So successful was I that 40 minutes later the corridor echoed to the
sound of desk tops banging in time to racist chants. Teaching moral
values is no piece of cake. And that’s not the only problem. Educating
youngsters to show more respect for the law is clearly desirable but is
just one of many competing concerns that we try to squeeze into an
already packed school timetable. Health studies, citizenship, study
skills and enterprise are just a few in a long queue. The simple truth
is that there is simply not enough time - and exhausted teachers are
already at breaking point.
However, there is some good news. Despite the
problems, teachers and lawyers are working together on a promising new
initiative called The Scottish Schools Law Project which introduces
pupils to the legal system and helps them understand that laws mean
responsibilities as well as rights. (After many years in the classroom,
I am only too well aware that young people quickly understand the
concept of rights, but have a little more difficulty grasping the
concept of responsibilities.)
In its first few months, this teacher- led initiative
has already reached 200 schools throughout Scotland and benefited 20,000
pupils in both the primary and secondary sectors. Many are from
Edinburgh and Lothians where the project began, and remains particularly
strong.
There are two main reasons for this success. The first
is that schools use teacher-friendly materials with a quiz-based
approach to capture the imagination of pupils. In fact, one of the most
pleasing aspects of the scheme has been the enthusiastic reaction of
parents to a family quiz which youngsters are set for homework. Yet none
of this would be possible without the effort of hundreds of teachers who
consider the aims of the project to be vital.
The second reason for the success is the very positive
reaction from the legal profession. The initiative builds links between
law firms and local schools but no government funding is involved, so
the whole project depends upon law firms backing the scheme in the
schools they nominate.
This has proved highly successful due to the
remarkable good will of lawyers, and their enthusiasm for the idea of
introducing youngsters to the legal system in a way that illustrates why
respect for the law is a cornerstone of a modern democratic society.
Lawyers often receive a bad press, but in this respect they deserve
nothing but plaudits.
Of course, the Schools Law Project is just a start. A
great deal of work needs to be done before youngsters will fully
understand the value of laws and the ways in which living up to one’s
responsibilities can help build a better Scotland.
But where a start has to be made, it is as well to
make a good one, and thanks to the joint efforts of teachers and
lawyers, much excellent progress has already been made.
By Patrick Gaffney
(Patrick Gaffney is director of The Schools Project, a teacher-led
partnership which establishes links between schools and outside bodies)
10 July 2003
http://news.scotsman.com/leaders.cfm?id=622202003
