When is our Future Determined?

A false picture is given when people say that your future is determined by your GCSE and A level results. I think it is determined when you sit your entrance exams for secondary school. It starts this young because there’s a fight to get into the best secondary schools whether it be a grammar or private one. This is because they provide the best education, quite unfairly, to enable a child to get into a red brick university from which employers tend to recruit.

I am worried about the path ahead of me and what it brings. Firstly, I am worried because of the shortage of University places even for students with A’s or A*’s.

Education has two purposes:

1. To give you qualifications that will help get you a job so you can earn a reasonable living.

2. To help you understand the world around you E.G Politics and Art.

Secondly, even though I am already achieving the benefits of point two I am worried about point one because of the shortage of jobs and houses. The London Evening Standard has carried a report on youngsters sleeping in tents, caravans and mobile homes in traveller sites because it is the lowest cost housing they can afford. Is this the future for young people? I do believe that the Lib Dems have a real commitment to providing for children but I worry that the cuts will set back this agenda.

Happy Birthday to Me!

It will be my birthday on 25 August. I am blogging today because I will be hyper from here on from overdosing on sugar. Those who have children or are children will know what I am talking about –being unable to concentrate and feeling sick afterwards. My best birthday present so far came about when I installed ‘Blogger Stats’. I have hundreds of readers in the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, China, Russia and most parts of Europe. Imagine my excitement – and at the age of 10 only. I want you to tell me who you are because people aren’t leaving comments or following my blog. It would be very nice to have your comments and make contact with you. It's been a hard and tiring year so far and I need to revive myself before starting school and attending Conference which is always fun but exhausting.

How Long Is The Road To Homelessness?

How close in distance are you to a homeless person? Have you noticed the increase in the numbers of them? Last year in London alone there were 3, 673 people sleeping on the streets. The road to becoming homeless is decreasing in size and it could happen to anybody.

Have you ever spoken to a homeless person to understand their situation? Years ago my family were lucky enough to be able to help a homeless man. His name was Andy and he used to work as a builder. He fell down a ladder and broke his leg. He couldn't work anymore and had no income. He couldn't afford to pay for housing and became homeless. This shows you that the road to homelessness can be as short as falling down a ladder. You can create a whole ladder of opportunities but fall down it so quickly.

As Liberals we have a responsibility to help those who are in need. In the Orange Book, David Laws wrote about how breaking the cycle of deprivation is part of 'Social Liberalism'. To me being a Liberal Democrat means helping others to help themselves. My family were able to help Andy by providing him with a new wheelchair because the wheelchair that he was using had a bent wheel and the other wheel was missing. He was using all his strength to drag himself along and wasn't able to get anywhere. The new wheelchair provided him with social mobility. In no time Andy was able to get himself to the Big Issue office where he became a seller. Then he was able to get to hospital where he underwent physiotherapy. He moved on from the area finally because the council was able to house him.

The Government does need to intervene to help those who cannot help themselves but I think that as individual members of the Liberal Democrat party we have the power to help people in need. Let's get out there and demonstrate the party's values and HELP.

Work or Kid?

The Westminster Civil Service play scheme, which I have been attending for the last 6 years, is due to be shut down. The play scheme is subsidized by the civil service who have decided to cut it. The Government is meant to be making family friendly decisions but with this closure what will the parents who use this play scheme do with their children during the school holidays?
It is known that women are the main users of public services so it is mothers like mine who are hardest hit by this decision. Since the Government is trying to get women to become more involved in the workforce this decision will not help the Government's intentions.
Good and affordable childcare is very important to a working mother and if it is not there mothers may have to make decisions between work and staying home with the children. This is why women leave the workforce.
The Government has always set an example in family friendly workplace practices. With the closure of this valuable play scheme I dread to think what other companies will do.
After the coalition Government was formed there was so much hope that the Lib Dems would bring their family friendly policies into power.