July 7 - Letter to the Guardian on Knives

Use of knives amongst young people

The source of this problem and its solution is reached, I believe, by following a series of simple steps of logic.

Why do youngsters carry knives? It’s part of their gang culture, it makes them feel good.

Why is this? Aggressive gang culture has always been part of growing up – Romeo and Juliet. Young people find identity as they move from children to adults. Eventually one hopes they grow into free thinking adults with their own different personalities. Few of us get there.

Feeling good comes from activities that boost self-esteem..

The opportunities for children that don’t identify with ‘the system’ to gain this, come from the regard given them by their mates.

Schools provide the culture, for many, of dissatisfaction with the system.

Rather than encourage the fascinating voyage of discovery of how the world ticks, children are taught what they need to know. The teacher is at the helm when it could be the pupil. We all gain far more self-esteem if we make a discovery than if we are told. The emotional impact is vastly different.

Education at present is back to front. The learner could be in charge of choosing the direction of the education voyage. We start life asking “Why?” but this is discouraged in most of teaching.

“Be quiet, and listen” is the order of the day.

With this environment those that remain curious and don’t choose to listen but want their own answers fail to get recognition by the exam system and fail to gain self-esteem.

They then seek it through status in a group of peers. High status comes from being ‘hard’. To be hard – carry a knife.

Problem solution – Change the education system. A.S.Neill had the answer and founded Summerhill. The result is free thinking adults with self-esteem from finding out for themselves.

I have been very successful, as a teacher, in promoting self-esteem with projects in the UK which put the student in charge of the learning, see www.tygh.co.uk/students yet at present my most enthusiastic followers are in . . . . . Thailand – thanks to the internet !

Emotionally damaged youths carry knives. Thank you SATS for encouraging a back to front philosophy.