Is it any wonder?

The news this morning offers the report from Ofsted that schools are not making good use of the outdoor activities facilities available to them and that our children's life experience and broader education are suffering as a consequence. The situation is thus because schools are increasingly afraid of being sued in the event of an accident.

Is it any wonder?

Whilst I accept that over the last few years there have been some heinous incidents of gross negligence by education authorities and staff responsible for children engaged in these types of activities, like so many things they have been few in comparison with the numbers who have benefited. Good news is not news and as such, as with most things, it is only the catastrophies we hear reported. For those families who have suffered genuine loss and trauma, the incidence is 100% and a nightmare beyond the comprehension of most of us. To lose, or have seriously injured a child, while apparently in the care of the authorities we entrust them too is dreadful and all circumstances surrounding such tragedies require thorough investigation to prevent a repetition.

These are not the cases of which I am talking.

As appears to be the case in so many situations in the last few years it seems to me that this is another illustration of individuals jumping on the compensation bandwagon, so much so that education authorities, among others, are too frightened to put themselves in the position for fear of the massive law suits we seem to favour of late. The U.K would appear to be fast becoming a culture motivated by the opportunity to make a fast buck from the possibility of suing for just about anything.

We balk at what is referred too as the 'nanny state' and yet so many seem to absolve themselves of the day to day life responsibilities, preferring instead to look immediately for someone else to blame. Of course in the serious cases those truly responsible should be bought to justice, made to accept responsibility for their actions and have the full weight of the law bought to bear upon them but often this is not the case.

I see it every day at my work place and it apalls me. Bear in mind that this is a place full of potentially dangerous chemicals, heavy objects and professional equipment and then consider this scenario.

Mum and dad enter the store with 'little Jonny' who despite warning notices spelling out the dangers, have put the child in the front of the trolley instead of the child seat, immediately rendering in unstable. They wander the isles musing over their prospective purchases, park said trolley, still with child in situ, and become engrossed in shopping. At this point one of two things will normally happen. Either a staff member, who has noticed 'little Jonny' about to tip headlong onto the hard floor, gently asks the parent to attend to the child and generally gets abuse along the lines of "don't tell me how to look after my child" or 'little Jonny' clambers over the side, and assuming he manages this feat without falling and pulling the trolley ontop of him, runs off to explore alone, still unnoticed.

Give him 10 minutes of lone exploration and he will have pulled something heavy ontop of him, got something unpleasant on his skin or fallen somewhere. Now assuming we can find the guardian of this child in the first place, while we gather him off the floor and administer any necessary first aid, what really horrifies me is the number of parents, who having made a cursory inspection of the damage, immediately then begin to blame us! You can see the ones in an instant with dollar signs in their eyes, they are not comforting the child as you or I would, they are questioning and accusing, some within minutes are already talking money and litigation.

Sure, in some instances we or any other public place are to blame and have been negligent in some way but what scares me is just how many people see the misfortune of others, even their own child, as a means to lay the burden of their life's responsibilities at someone else's door and make a buck in the process.

Like the news, I hope it is only the bad one's I notice, the majority out there do genuinely care, we have our share of mothers and fathers who's child has snuck off in a split second and who are frantic with fear......... but it sure doesn't seem like it at times!

Are we turning into a country of people unable, or unprepared, to take responsibility for our own lives and thus causing a narrowing of life's experiences, as is apparent in the schools outside activities situation. How long will it be before much less is available to use purely because the operators do not have the means to support the ever increasing financial burden of legal representation?

I will end this rant with the tale of a guy, who having cut his fingers on a light bulb that shattered in his hand while trying to fit it, considered it our fault........his reasoning, the box didn't specify or warn him that a tight grip may cause it to shatter!!!

Er......... ok, I will resist the temptation for expletives at this point!
*#/%*$%"*#!!