PROTECTING WOMEN -
BUT DESTROYING THE NATION
Every child in a school in England will be taught that domestic violence is unacceptable as from 2011. It will be part of the Personal, Social, Health and Economic education curriculum. This is the same area of education that deals with sex education which has been made compulsory to all children over 15 irrespective of parents' wishes. From 2011, lessons in gender equality and preventing violence in relationships will be delivered to all children from 5 upwards. Teachers will be trained to tackle violence against students.
There is an issue about violence in the Home within our society. And whilst there is no way of substantiating the statistical facts it does appear to be becoming more prevalent, or at least less acceptable. Many women and children face daily aggression from husbands and live-in boyfriends. Apparently one-fifth of all women over 16 say they have been stalked. Then there are forced marriages, "honour" killings, trafficking for sexual exploitation and female circumcision which are all perpetrated against women.
It is a terrible situation that needs addressing. How sad that in our enlightened world, so called, such an evil persists and may possibly be growing. All kinds of reasons can be given for why this may be the case, but the real situation on the ground is horrific for those women and children who suffer from it.
But again we must ask why is this burden being placed on to schools? It seems that the notion that education solves everything obsesses the minds of our leading politicians. The question is never asked about the values and influences within our culture which produce the sort of mindset that makes a man think it acceptable to beat his wife and be violent towards his children: The values that constantly are expressed in the entertainment that flows so freely into our homes: The examples set by the celebrity culture with its excessive self-indulgence and hedonism: The influence of computer games on our young people where violence is a constant factor: The public behaviour of politicians who sadly exploit the system and who in Parliament behave with aggressive language towards each other: The disgraceful fact that we read in the newspapers and hear journalists on television and radio saying that the Prime Minister, and sometimes other ministers, were apoplectic with rage - setting an example of self-control that we hope no-one will follow.
So it is down to education again because that is the easy route and it gives politicians and sociologists someone to blame when it does not work. And it does not work. Take the issue of teenage pregnancy. Millions of pounds have been poured into a variety of programmes to educate young people and yet the statistics remain frighteningly high. Why? Because the examples that are set, and the values that are propounded argue in the opposite direction. So recently a government official was in a discussion about teenage sex and was extolling the virtues of safe-sex. But when she was asked about suggesting to young people that they might say no she was silent and then indignant against the suggestion.
The issue that this latest announcement about domestic violence and schools raises is that there is no solid framework of moral values within our society which sets limits on people's behaviour. God is excluded and His Word, the Bible, derided. So we are left with the government having to be the One who declares what is right and what is wrong. And what is their approach based upon? Three things -
Pragmatism - something that will work but still match the preconceived ideas of ministers. So we recently had twisted statistics over the issue of the value of family influence on children's sexual behaviour, and the deliberate ignoring of a public consultation on sex education because the results did not suit the intended aim.
Pluralism - all religious views, including anti-religion, have to be accommodated. Some hypothetical common ground must be found. The Equalities agenda dominates. Equality for women; equality for people with disabilities; equality for gays and those with sexually deviant lifestyles; equality for every religious ideology. Equality is the one untouchable area. But it doesn't exist, it is a mere fancy, an empty hypothesis. What that means is that it cannot be achieved. So all that can be done is to go for what appears to be the most popular position even if it can be shown to be self-defeating.
Once again the moral bankruptcy of our nation is being displayed in the policies coming out from our politicians. This is not a party issue it is a moral tragedy that is sweeping our nation to self-destruction.