

Schools 'too safe', teachers say - winanga
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8107858.stm

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makecheck
Yes, and instead of creating kids that are adaptable, we're creating ones that
are weak.

If someone tries to prepare for every possible contingency, kids grow up under
the grand illusion that not much can go wrong, and then _crumble_ when they're
faced with the smallest unanticipated problem. (Some more along these lines in
this article: <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/861651.cms> )

This is reminiscent of dumbing-down projects in software. :) Something
brilliant is created, but over time the original developers move on and there
is a push to make the thing maintainable by cheaply-employed people who are
relatively mindless automatons. Most of what they do is memorize remedies for
the common issues. Their effectiveness is therefore proportional to how
predictable the problems are; should something unusual occur, they have _no
idea_ how to fix it and their effectiveness goes out the window. So imagine if
you're a child, you grow up feeling basically capable of living your own life,
only to be given the rudest of awakenings when unexpected things start
revealing just how unprepared you really are.

~~~
Scriptor
Sorry, but the more I read that link the more skeptical I become of its
contents. Children do not commit suicide because they've been coddled and
suddenly are scolded by a teacher. They commit suicide because they are
fearful of the consequences and are pressured to reach perfection. Being
spoiled creates children who would rather blame others than themselves.
Suicide just doesn't seem like a likely course of action for them.

What I find particularly disgusting about the situation is that an apparent
superintendent of a mental hospital is blaming television because, get this,
"On the small-screen, the protagonists commit suicide at the drop of a hat."
Right, always easier to blame the media than deeper social problems that go
beyond recent trends.

Another thing that seems questionable is that all these children come in with
apparent self-inflicted wounds. Since when do spoiled brats hurt themselves?
From what I know, self-injury is a silent way of getting attention, something
that spoiled kids shouldn't have a problem with.

~~~
TrevorJ
There is no single reason why suicides happen. I imagine everyone must have
different reasons.

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rriepe
Reminds me of Mike Rowe's tech talk: "Maybe we have it wrong when we say
'Safety first.' Maybe it's more like... 'Safety third.'

I wonder how the Internet has affected safety culture in schools. I can do a
simple search and get all kinds of crazy school stories-- and then use those
to justify any rules I want, if I had happened to be a school administrator.

~~~
marvin
We joke about this in my flying club. The official rules say "safety
first"...but if safety really came first, we would be at home watching TV.
Life is dangerous. It is important to take controlled risks, so that you can
learn what risks are acceptable and which are not. Besides, perfectly safe
translates to perfectly boring. Adventure and fun always come with an element
of stress and danger.

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j_baker
But... _won't someone think of the children_!

Sometimes it seems like that's all one has to say to create an environment
like this.

