C= Connexions officer, P=PupilNow this is interesting. The Child Potection Officer for our diocese has advised that Youth Workers should not communicate with young people by mobile phone or text messages because the informal nature of young peoples' use of mobile phones can mean that a wrongly over-familiar personal line of communication is set up. This seems a reasonable precaution to me. Furthermore, schools will not even release under-age pupils contact details to the police without the parents consent.
C Can I have your moble number?
P I don't have one.
C Can I have your home number?
P Why?
C You are the first one to ask that. Because we might need to contact you.
Another part of the interview went something like this:
C= Connexions officer, P=PupilThis would be laughable if it were not so outrageous. Our area is one in which low aspirations of students is a significant factor in preventing the take-up of High Education. The school serves a deprived part of the Borough, the student is well-motivated and gets outstanding results for public exams. And of course the conversation smacks of old-fashioned stereotyping.
C What do you want to do?
P Medicine
C That's rather difficult to get into, have you considered nursing?
P Well, no, I really want to apply for medicine.
C You'll need good grades. You should do psychology for A level, its easier to get into medicine with that.
Then followed more encouragement to look into nursing.
Connexions is a Government "support service" for young people in the UK, offering advice and information on careers, housing, work, money... oh, and of course "sexual health" and "relationships". They'll put you in touch with the FPA, the Brook or others if you need condoms, the MAP or a secret abortion.
Their "sexual health" advice includes such gems as:
Presumably valuing young people like that is meant to make them feel good about themselves. Pass the sick bag!
- It's much easier and safer to prevent catching STIs by using condoms with all sexual partners
- Don't be pressured into having sex without using a condom - you're worth it!
17 comments:
Ah, we had an awkward lesson once. We used to get such lessons from the (Anglican) school chaplain, who worked desperately to say what the syllabus required him to say, and then immediately contradict himself. He ended up being very tired and red in the face..poor Father Bill...
I am a little confused, I am told that the womens role is to be supportive and not put her 'self' interest first. So why train to be a Dr. for seven years only to give it up to become a wife and mother. So maybe the nursing option was not such a bad idea?
Anonymous... I'm even more confused. Why do you assume that the student in question is female? And what makes you think that a wife and mother cannot also be a doctor?? One (female) GP I know has seven children, and I don't think she is any less effective because of this!
Who told you that "the woman's role is to be supportive and not to put her self interests first"? It certainly isn't Church teaching... Added to which, I can't think of anything less "self-interested" than spending seven years training (six, actually) to become a doctor.
"Confused"? Or are you simply flying a kite? That caricature "the womens role is to be supportive and not put her 'self' interest first." is an invention of feminist ideology, not Catholic teaching on womanhood.
Doctor or nurse - either career choice may or may not be given up to have a family, depending on the circumstances and discernment of the woman concerned.
The Connexions advice had nothing to do with the possibility of a family, it was simply ignorance.
This reminds me of a tale my old supervisor used to tell. He came from a deprived area of Kent too. A schoolmaster asked him what he wanted to do when he left school and was taken aback when the boy said he'd like to go to university. No one from that school had ever expressed such a wish before. So then he asked what the boy wanted do after that. The boy replied, 'Well, I think I'd like to stay there!' And he did.
I think it may have been the "elequent apologey", of "infected with the feminist mental disorder that can't possibly understand what value there is in obedience, faithfulness and a supporting role". I read in one of your earlier posts FR.
Yet more evidence at how brilliant we are becoming at finding ever greater ways to nurture mediocrity in this country. Any wonder so many young people are in despair with "mentors" like the connexions moron. Even their name says "It`s cool if you can`t spell."
This is coincidental. My daughter was choosing classes at a Community (2yr) college and was convinced to take Psychology. I was reluctant to go along with it because it seems like an utter waste of time and probably is a course with an agenda of secular humanism.
So why train to be a Dr. for seven years only to give it up to become a wife and mother. So maybe the nursing option was not such a bad idea?
I DARE you to say that to Mrs Paulinus (an A&E consultant and a very good wife and mother!) Good parenting and a career are possible but they require sacrifice, hard work and a commitment to your family - virtues not particularly encouraged by this government.
As to the laughable "do psychology because it is easier" argument - what kind of idiots do these people take us for in medical schools? The basics of medicine don't change and it is VERY easy to spot an applicant trying easy options to get good grades. Connexions looks incompetent as well as immoral.
Connexions give me the creeps! i'm gonna make sure they wipe my 5 at secondary level off the system pronto!
Re the Medicine just as well they didn't get to my eldest who is 20 & sudying Medicine at York...
So sorry for 3 posts in a row..just seen anonymous...please take a look at my blog on St Gianna Molla wife, mother, doctor, saint....
"flying a kite" - what does that mean Fr?
Hi Father
I can remember my daughter being asked to complete a Connexions Survey just before GCSE's. The results?
"Based on the fact that you have no qualifications and the answers to your questions, your ideal job would be a TV Aerial Installer"
Fortunately, she ignored their advice and is now a teacher.
Leslee
I wrote to my local catholic school (E Sussex) -after finding out that there is a connexions adviser at the pupils' disposal every day of the week. I asked the head if he realised what 'services' weree being offered. He said that there were absolutely no abortion referrals - etc. I do wonder.
Dominie
Our daughter was also told by a 'Connexions' employee that perhaps medicine is 'too hard' for her, at her E. Sussex Catholic comp. I'd still like to know how she worked that one out given she hadn't the faintest idea of daughter's academic ability or determination. She too was asked to consider nursing.
Do Connexions staff have a crib sheet or is it a proper script as they all seem to give exactly the same 'advice'?
A tiny word in favour of howw Connexions works at one Catholic Secondary School. It works under the guidance of what would once have been called the Careers teacher and, while offering information about choices of study for GCSE (there is no Catholic Sixth Form here), does not get involved in anything that might be to do with Faith and Morals. Instead, we have managed to build up an excellent (if semi-legal) process where 15 year olds who behave and are committed can, effectively, start what would once have been called apprenticeships and earn money. This works excellently: the bstudents concerned attend school for core subjects (English, Maths, Science) but have to be on best behaviour: for the rest of their time, they are starting to learn the trades they will take up at age 16.
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