Riots Sitting on a shady porch in the heart of Limousin in France this summer, we felt a million miles from civilization; there wasn't even electricity. All we had to keep us in touch was a battery radio and it was on this that we heard the first news of the riots in the UK. Disbelief was our first reaction. But as anarchy grew, like so many others, we were appalled. And, like so many others, we tried to see the wider picture. How could this be happening in our "civilized" country? We talked and talked, and again and again I came back to education. Of course parents should be responsible for the behavior of their children but the fact is many of them aren't and, indeed can't be. Blaming them isn't going to shift anything. But the one place where we can make a difference is in schools. We live in a culture that values possessions; we're bombarded with messages that 'things' make us happy and owning them gives us more credibility in the eyes of others. Combine this message with 'every man for himself' in a society where there are the very rich and the very poor and no wonder there are riots. If every school were to teach our children to: - value themselves - empathise with others - take responsibility for their own actions - communicate effectively and with confidence think what a difference it would make. Bring on VisionWorks! Janet Grant | 
My youngest started secondary school last week and I came across this quotation which connects to this and touched me.
