$15 Minimum Wage for US Fast Food Workers

Recently there has been many posts and memes on Facebook and other social media sites about American's anger that Fast Food companies want to raise their minimum wage of their workers to $15. After doing some research and reading some comments on the subject I am very ashamed of some American's attitudes towards the subject. A lot of people don't think that the people behind the counter serving their food deserve a higher minimum wage and that the job is easy.

First of all, the job is not easy in the slightest. I know people here in the UK who work or have worked in such establishments and it is not just a case of "Flipping burgers and putting them into bread". A worker in a fast food restaurant has to ensure that the food is cooked, served properly and having to put up with ignorant and rude customers who are too lazy to cook their own food, yet don't want to pay for someone to do it for them. I am in FULL SUPPORT of the Fast Food companies raising their minimum wage because no one can live on a stupidly low minimum wage.

However there is this attitude and common assumption that the people who give you your Big Mac Meal and Large Drink are simply uneducated, stupid, immature idiots that can't spell their own name correctly. Well this is wrong. They are people and they have feelings too. I know several people who work at McDonalds right now and are at University. Their main reason is because it gives them a damn good wage for part time work that they have some extra income on top of their student finance. Does that make them stupid and uneducated? Does that mean they can't spell their own name when they are working towards a degree? No it doesn't.

According to the McDonalds website the average worker who works full time earns between £18.5 to £21k annually. That is not a bad wage at all, its better than some. Thats on a wage of £5.55 an hour if you're over the age of 22. This translates to roughly $9 an hour. At that wage per hour no one can live and earn enough in their life to buy a car, rent a house with everything on the top without help, due to the price of todays living costs.

In comparison, I am a nursery nurse. My job involves the education and care of young children. This is a minimum wage job in most cases. On average in the UK a nursery nurse earns the average annual wage of 16 to 17k. So if we are basing attitudes off of annual wage sums, then all Nursery Nurses are thick people who have no idea how to look after children and can't even speak English properly? You are forgetting that Nursery Nurses have to have a qualification and in some cases a degree to do their job and yet they are on a lower wage than staff at McDonalds. However McDonalds have made the brave decisio to raise their minimum wage and its been hit by waves and waves of negativity because of the attitude of "I don't want to pay for my food because I'm lazy and don't care about others".

The same applies to childcare. If we were to get a higher wage the price of childcare would rise and parents wouldn't want their children at Nursery or Pre-School. Some people do not understand that the people who are providing you with services have lives to live too and are not just robots that do what you want when you want. A prime example of this is when parents expect teachers and nursery nurses to teach children to do things that parents should be doing. Some parents want their child learn to potty train, yet show no effort in helping them because "I'm paying you to teach my child this". Yes you're paying us, and you're not paying us very much why should we raise your child and teach him/her to use the toilet when you are too lazy to do it yourself? etc etc..

Lets have a look at the average price for a house in the UK for one person who is on the £18.5k wage. According to the ONS (Office of National Statistics) the average house price in the UK is £250,000. First of all you need 10% of that as a deposit so thats £25 off the bat, on a 18.5k wage that will take about 2 to 3 years if you put a little bit away every month and cut on pretty much every expenditure you have. Then you've got to get a mortgage and that isn't going to happen if you're not earning enough, so you've got no chance in either jobs. So really, why are we complaining that McDonalds wants to help people they employ and not allow them to move on with their lives. Has anyone thought that the people at McDonalds might like their jobs and may want to progress further into the company?

But back to McDonalds. I am glad and happy they have raised their minimum wage. The company earns billions in profits worldwide and have finally seen that their workers do deserve better. The overall attitude that has come up is that people do not want to pay a few extra dollars for food because they don't see it as a career or a job for the person giving it to them. First of all, that person has a job and is providing you a service because you are too lazy to eat at home or wait to go home. They are human too, you should never look down on anyone because its not right. If you turn your nose up at someone then it goes to show how much of a selfish bastard you really are.

To sum it all up. If you don't like the fact that McDonalds are paying more to their employee's then don't go there. If you're so annoyed that they are getting more money than you, go and get a job with them. Maybe then you will appreciate them more and see just how much crap they put up with from selfish people who think they are superior to them. Show them respect, don't look down on them because of their job, they are your fellow citizens and they have the same rights as you. Don't discriminate against them and think you're superior because you're not. Treat people how you want to be treated and stop being selfish and learn to give instead of taking for once in your life.

SEN in Anime & Angel Beats

Hello! Its been a long time since I posted anything on here, but I recently stumbled across something I wanted to post about. I am currently re-writing my essay on Special Education Needs because I failed it last year (which really does suck) so I'm taking the time to procrastinate for a half hour or so.

Over the summer I've been taking the time to relax and taking some time off, as well as working part time. I have however been watching and reading a lot of Manga and Anime. After working on this essay about SEN it reminded me about an episode of Angel Beats which focuses around one of the characters called Yui. A little bit of background information so you understand this a bit more. Angel Beats is a high school set in the void between passing on and being alive. Teenagers who died and didn't get to enjoy their youth would come to this place to rid themselves of all their past emotions and regrets, then they could pass on to be at peace.

Yui when she was alive had a SEN. She was paralyzed from the head down after being hit by a car when she was younger. The reason I am posting about this is because usually in Anime or in television there is not many character with a SEN. The episode about Yui is about the main protagonist helping her do everything she wanted to do when she was alive, its really touching that she wanted to do such normal things. For example all she wanted to do was play football with friends and to hit a home run in a baseball game and the last one is a total shock. The video on the right shows what Yui's last wish was and how it was granted by another character Hinata.

After watching the episode it became apparent that children with SEN need to be included and need to be involved in everything. Its become a huge thing to have inclusion in schools and I personally believe that it should not just be in schools, but in all of society. Yui's story describes clearly the old fashioned medical model where children with SEN have something wrong with them. I believe that inclusion should be for all of society and not just in education.

However since I'm on the topic of Angel Beats I need to show just how good this Anime is, and not just for the Anime Fan. Since the high school is based in the void between passing on and living each teenager in the show has a powerful realistic backstory. These are relatable to the teenagers we see today. There is deep underlying emotion throughout the series mixed with comedy and some misunderstood fighting scenes.

I'm going to take Iwasawa's story for example. Iwasawa was brought up in a violent hosuehold with an alcoholic father who was abusive and horrible. She tried to escape by using music and this helped her get through it. She related to a band that came from a similar background as her. She dived deep into her music, performing on the street and earning money where she could so she could go on and live a nicer life. However she died due to her upbringing, I'm not going to spoil it but it is in the video on the left.

 Now there is going to be some people who are thinking "Why is he even bothering to tell us about this" and the answer is simple. I am getting rather fed up of people thinking that Anime is "Just a cartoon" or is just pornographic animation. Its strange how often the only Anime people have ever heard of is Hentai (Which is a genre of Anime which is pornographic). Angel Beats is an Anime I would highly recommend to any teenager who feels like they have had a bad upbringing or have had issues in the past because they can relate to it. I can relate to the bad home environment, even though its not as bad as Iwasawa's my parents were always fighting though they didn't do it infront of me, they did it through my grandparents. However when I watched Angel Beats and saw Iwasawa's Story I related to her and I felt sorry for her. So please if you still think that Anime is just a cartoon, please watch and episode of Angel Beats then go watch an episode of Spongebob Squarepants and tell me how they are even remotely similar!

I'm going to leave you with an awesome picture from Angel Beats below for you to think about. I strongly recommend that everyone watch this fantastic story, yes it has its flaws but the story is so in depth that it has meaning. This is what Anime is and this shows a perfect example of Inclusion from Hinata towards Yui. We need more people like him, more people accepting people for who they are not what they are!

A dance through my mind - Interview with Josh Egget.

Welcome to a special post on The Male Childcarer. Today I interview a friend of mine from University who has ADHD and created a stunning video about his struggle for his final project. The video entitled "A dance through my mind" is available on YouTube to watch. Below is the video and the interview with Josh.This is my first ever interview for The Male Childcarer and I hope it helps people understand how ADHD does affect children and young adults, but also how different things can help, in Josh's case its his dancing. Enjoy.

A Dance Through My Mind by Josh Egget

 

Interview with Josh, June 2014

 

Please feel free after watching these videos to visit Josh's YouTube Channel. He is willing to answer questions or comments and looks forward to sharing his stories and showing people that it doesn't matter what you have, you can do anything you want in life, and do what you want to do.The links to his channel and the video on YouTube can be found at the end of the interview video.

Childrens TV Shows. Old vs New in terms of educational content & ideologies.

Right so this is a little bit different for me. Its been over a month since I posted anything on here due to University getting in the way. However through the hours of procrastinating and looking back at old shows I used to watch as a child I have come to realise something. There used to be old awesome cartoons and television shows that made a difference, had educational material embedded into them and should never have been taken off the air.

Now before I start there is many TV shows out there aimed at children that have educational content and have underlying messages. However in my recent experiences they seem to be dropping less and less especially in shows that are aimed at any child over the age of three. Just to clarify I was a child that had access to the old style Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, however there were also cartoons and TV shows broadcasted here on standard TV channels which were just awesome.

The first TV show that I loved as a child and most people just overlooked was a show called Animaniacs. The show was a 'sketch style' type cartoon based around several characters at Warner Brothers Studios who each had their own sketch shows. The main characters were the 'Warner Brothers and the Warner Sister' who lived in the water tower at the studios. These three were crazy yet they had some absolutely awesome songs that were educational.

Here are two videos from Animaniacs which are probably my favorite and most memorable songs that I ever learnt from them. 

The first video on the left is the Animaniacs singing the history of the presidents of the United States of America. Although this song is very catchy and not really relevant to English Children it does have some History in it and since the show mainly had a US Audience this was remarkable. After reading through the comments on YouTube there were several American Students that even today use this video to get through History Tests! So tell me why was this show taken off the air back in 1998?! (Great now I feel really old). Oh a word of warning since this was back in the 90's it is a little outdated...

And here is probably my favourite ever Animaniacs song, just because it is pure genius whoever wrote it. Yakko sings all the countries of the world. Now this video he doesn't sing them in any particular order its just the ones that rhyme with each other. This video would still help children with Geography and should be used. However Cartoon Network took this show off the air in 1998 and if it had kept going then these cheesy catchy songs could still be going but with new updates and helping children understand complex issues and history without even knowing it.

After doing some research on Animaniacs for this article I did discover that Cartoon Network has decided to re-run Animaniacs, however not at any time a child would be awake. Good effort Cartoon Network but you still prefer the no so educational shows which win on popularity such as Ben 10.

Yes I had to mention it. Ben Ten. Now from my research (and hearing from countless children) Ben 10 is a modern childrens television show about a boy called Ben who has some strange watch which changes him into different types of Aliens which he then combats monsters etc. Now I've seen episodes of this when channel flicking through early on a morning and to be honest I don't see what children see in it. All I see is yet another violent male superhero who has strange powers.

Now I completely understand why children love this type of show. Maybe its personal preference but they never appealed to me. Why do I want to watch some violent boy change into aliens and beat up monsters when I can watch something else in the same genre but actually learn something. Now one show that does come to mind and was probably one of my favourite from Cartoon Network ever was The Powerpuff Girls.

Now if you can remember them you'll remember that they were probably the first ever female superheroes for children. Now I must stress that a lot of the stories weren't educational but had hidden meanings that if you were smart enough you could pick up on. In fact the final episode was actually never aired in the United States and in other countries such as China, Russia due to its message about communism. Yes the Powerpuff Girls went there! Just to quickly recap there is a strange gnome like man that comes to their town and promises to make everyone happy and safe if the girls surrender their powers. They agree to hoping that everyone will be happy, however he controls everyone's lives in order to make everyone happy. Basically he turns the town into a dictatorship communism. (You can see why there were countries this wasn't aired in). However in the end the girls get their powers back but not after explaining to him just about how everything is in balance. Watch the video on the left, its powerful and has so many hidden meanings. I didn't see this as a child but its message makes children realise that there are good and bad in the world yet you need to balance it. Its quite philosophical if you ask me.

Now I've looked at the shows that were mainly on Cartoon Network and other Sky Channels. However there were other TV Shows that were on the main channels (Back when we only had channels one to five, great now I feel really old!). The first show that came to mind was the traditional classic Rosie and Jim! Now Rosie and Jim was about these two rag dolls that would go around on a Narrow Boat on English Canals and learn about the different things they encountered. During my research I was shocked to learn that I still know every single word to the theme tune. I remember that Rosie and Jim used to be on TV everyday after school as part of "BBC's Children's Hour" a long time before CBBC or CBeebies. My favourite episode was about how Rosie and Jim discovered how their narrow boat was built as well as other boats. I think this is why I was fascinated by canals and loved to go on bicycle rides along the tow paths when I was younger. Now I recently found this episode on YouTube and I am going to admit I did sit there and watch it whilst writing this article. The episode in on your right and I strongly suggest that if you want to see what I was on about, you can see just how educational and awesome this show was! (By the way I wanted to go on one of these boats so badly as a child my dad asked a friendly couple if I could have a ride, it was the best day of my life).

So another example that was featured on TV and was educational yet fun was a TV Show called "The Magic Schoolbus". Now not many people remember this show, but I remember it quite clearly. The story was about a class and a teacher who would take the children on field trips to answer their questions or to cure their curiosity. Now to get around obvious barriers the bus was magic and could do pretty much anything, from fly to turn microscopic etc. And yes if you're already wondering I still know all the words to the theme tune its actually scary how much I remember these old shows. So once again I've included video evidence to support my explanation, the video on the left is the episode where the class and the Magic School Bus go back in time to discover Dinosaurs after visiting an archaeological site. Seriously when I become a teacher I'm going to see if I can get myself one of these "Magic School Buses", they seem like a necessary education tool that every teacher needs...

So far I've identified that there are two types of educational childrens shows, those which teach directly such as Animaniacs and those with hidden messages underpinning the story.

So now I'm going to look at some modern examples which are on air, but are not yet widely known or appreciated. The one TV Show that does stand out to me and has a remarkable audience is the modern version of My Little Pony. Now since my house mates are the biggest Bronies I've ever known I've also gotten involved just because I was curious in what they see in the show.Now I am going to write a special blog post on this topic but from what I've seen of My Little Pony its not just a show about female ponies living in a fantasy land, but it actually had serious messages about being a better friend and a better person in general. This is one thing that I love about this show and the stories reflect this and even though many people especially boys and men believe that this show is "for girls only" its actually not. If you watch it, or simply give it a try you'll understand that yes the show is aimed at girls but it has messages that are relevant to all. Its not all glitter and fancy clothes. I found a compilation of the end of all of season 1 from My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic which follows the format of writing a letter of what the characters have learnt about friendship. Give it a watch and tell me how this is for girls only and how this doesn't apply to everyone?

Just to clarify MLP covers many topics in modern life that children face everyday. From choosing between two friends, to how to deal with a bully and from how to trust your family and elders decisions. I've seen pictures of people bullied by others for liking this show, so I just wanted to say that those people who are too arrogant and stuck up to realise that the messages and lessons in this show are actually helping children become better citizens, then that goes to show just what upbringing you had doesn't it?

Another modern example of an educational show but had an underpinning message is Disney's own Phineas & Ferb. Now this is a show that I discovered back in 2010 when on Holiday in Tenerife and Disney Channel was the only TV channel we could find in English. On the other hands I learnt how to count in Spanish due to the Johnson Baby Oil advert... but anyways from watching the show I learnt that the first few seasons didn't have any educational content, but as the show progresses it does slot in some history and other educational content as it progresses. It does this in the clever way of the actual story. The show is about two step brothers called Phineas and Ferb who can somehow create magnificent things to do throughout the summer months and get away with it each time. Seriously they build a rollercoaster, they go back in time they go around the world etc etc. However its underpinning messages are not as clear but are there. For example they are step brothers and have a complex family structure like modern children these days yet they're also bets friends. The show also plays on childrens stereotypes such as The bully, The Quiet One, The Popular one etc and it basically runs with it. Just like My Little Pony, Phineas and Ferb express their lessons and messages through the use of songs. To the right is a song sung by Candace who is feeling guilty of getting her brothers into trouble and how much they actually mean to her. This can help children in relations with siblings, especially older children with younger siblings. However what I love about this show is its sense of humour, its amazing animation and its weird and wacky storylines. It really does appeal to modern children and Disney have done a fantastic job of getting educational content into this fantastic cartoon. It also applies to both gender sterotypes, especially in the case of Isabella who has a massive crush on Phineas and often sings about it. Seriously I can remember having crushes on girls when I was younger, where was Isabella back then to help me?! (Watch the bottom video for more context).

This has turned into a superlong post/article about childrens TV shows and educational content. However I firmly believe that even though the modern shows have some fantastic content (In relation to MLP and P&F) there was a time when TV shows had more meaning in them. Yes MLP and P&F have some great messages and lessons in them, but compared to what used to be shown back when I was a child they can't compete. I can flick through the childrens channels now on standard channels and find TV shows with hardly any or none educational content at all. The TV Channels where My Little Pony and Phineas & Ferb are broadcasted on are both channels that you need to pay or subscribe to and they are not broadcasted on standard channels. This makes it hard for children from poorer families to watch and learn. As a childcare practitioner I can see which children have access to these shows and which don't and its a huge gap. If we're going to make educational childrens television we need to make sure that its accessible for all and not only on paid for channels.

These are just my views on how childrens television has changed and I've only scratched the surface in this post, there are many ways its become better and many ways its become worse. But for now I'm going to just say that some modern childrens television is brilliant and some is utter garbage. TV producers and animators should look back on the past and at some of the truly successful childrens shows and learn from them. After all children spend much more time in front of a TV or looking at a digital screen than they do outside, mainly because we're all scared that if we take our eyes off them for more than thirty seconds they'll get kidnapped. But that's for another post, this is all for now! Arigato! :)

Ann Maguire - Stabbed to death by her student.

Well its tragic news that gripped the country. A teacher from my home town of Leeds, Mrs Ann
Maguire was stabbed to death in front of her class this week. As a training teacher and childcare provider I am shocked to hear about this. Apparently it was also an unprovoked attack. First of all my thoughts go out to her family and friends, however it has occurred to me that the media are blaming video games for this random out burst.

First of all there are game out there which do have violence in them. I have played games such as Left for Dead, Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto and to be honest its never crossed my mind to randomly jump out at my Spanish teacher and stab her. An article by the Telegraph states the current known facts about the situation. (Click here to read).

Now, from reading through the article it seems that the boy (Who will remain nameless) often brought alcohol to school, disobeyed his parents and was described as a "loner" and an outcast. Now these are not very nice things to say about anyone. The one thing I want to know is why wasn't the school doing anything about this? The fact that an under-age teenager could have, drink or even buy alcohol is questionable to say the least. Why was he driven to such lengths and why did he change into this from what he used to be?

The media can be a massive influence and unfortunately video games have started to become more violent, mainly because the market has changed. When I was little playing Pokémon on GameBoy Colour (Yes I'm that old) was considered a normal and easy going game. However, I now hear children talk about first person shooters and violent games that I wouldn't dream of playing when I was that young. Seriously though, when a Five year old child starts asking his friend how many head shots he's got on COD, isn't that when you start to wonder why they are playing such a game?

The video game industry is constantly changing. However unfortunately 8 out of 10 parents will allow their twelve year old play a 18 rated game without giving a second thought. I am a very firm believer that the ratings are there for a reason. If a game has an 18 logo on, it shouldn't be played by, with or around anyone younger than that, especially younger children who have yet to learn from right and wrong.

This isn't the first time that murder has been blamed on the video game industry. If you're old enough or study childcare like I did, you are probably familiar with the James Bulger case. Two children kidnapped a three year old boy and repeated what they had seen on their games to him then left him on a railway track to die. I'm not going into any detail because what they did was seriously horrific.

However, once again Mrs Maguire's death has been blamed on one individuals obsession with violent gaming.  I don't believe this is right. From what I've read then young man had several serious underlying issues that should have been spotted and addressed. Now I don't know if they were or not and were in the process of doing so, however I can only assume that they weren't recognised. Perhaps if they were noticed and he was receiving help then this tragedy could have been avoided.

 As a childcare practitioner, I feel very sorry not just for Mrs Maguire, but also for the young man that resorted to such actions. I know what its like to feel alone at school and I know how it feels to have personal problems. I also understand that everyone has their own way of dealing with their issues, mine was to write it out and turn it into a story. I seriously hope he receives help to stabilise any insecurities the young man has, yes he's facing murder charges but it does make me wonder what caused him to do such and act and why it wasn't noticed earlier.

Overall this tragedy is horrible. A much loved teacher killed by her student mainly because he had no other way of acting, maybe he didn't know how or he just couldn't express himself. Also I believe that violent video games did have a participation in this but it is wrong for the media to solely blame it on that. I just hope that in the future more parents regulate what their children are playing and be a little stricter, maybe then we'll have a generation where violence in children isn't a problem.

To the family of Mrs Maguire, my deepest condolences and I hope she rests in peace.

Upcoming content on The Male Childcarer Blog.

So recently I have decided that I need to widen my audience and to get 'the ear' so to speak of more people. Here I present you with The Male Childcarer's first video! Please watch so that I can explain how I am going to make this more entertaining and easier for all users to access and my opinions heard.

Also for those observant people you may have noticed that I have a new logo! Yes I sat down and made something pretty instead of using the background image all the time!. So here's a little snapshot of it!

So please keep checking for more from The Male Childcarer Blog! :

Disney's Frozen and allegations of its "Homosexual Hidden Agenda"

I've been doing some research into this topic in the last few weeks, and I now sit here at 6am on this Foggy Tuesday Morning to bring you my thoughts and findings. According to several sources many people are angered at Disney's newest film success "Frozen".

For those who don't know what Frozen is about or have yet to see the film, it is a Disney Computer Animated film set in a fictional kingdom on an island which relies on sea commerce to survive. There is a Monarchy in command of this small kingdom, one King and Queen and their two Princesses. One of the princesses has an unique magical power allowing her to control ice and water. This character is called Elsa and is the oldest daughter. When Elsa accidentally hits Anna her younger sister with her powers during play it is revealed that for Anna to survive the memories of Elsa's powers have to be removed and she should not know. This is due to a direct hit to Anna's head.

Therefore Elsa has to painfully isolate herself from her sister. Something which Anna (because her memories have been magically altered) doesn't understand. This lead to a song called "Do you want to build a snowman" which is about Anna's feeling of loneliness and not understanding why Elsa is hiding away. During that song however their parents the King and Queen go on a trip and the ship is lost in a storm. The video of "Do you want to build a snowman" is provided here on the left.

However several years down the line Elsa is still struggling to control her powers. This is because she hasn't had any guidance and has to control her emotions. It doesn't help that she has now come of age and is expected to take the throne and rule the kingdom. However on her coronation the stress and emotions get to her and after an argument with Anna she loses control of her power and exposes her powers. She runs away as she is rejected by her own people and the visiting powers set out to find her, with one leader wanting her dead due to her powers.

However not all is lost. Anna sets out to find her sister and meets a man who sells ice for a living. This mans name is Kritsoff and his best friend is his reindeer called Sven who has been his partner since he was a child. He helps Anna get to Elsa's new ice palace that she has created and convince her to come home. However during a conflict scene Elsa accidently hits Anna with her ice powers again, this time to the heart. The only cure for this is true love. Anna who is rushed back to the castle to find her true love (One of the visiting princes that she instantly got a crush on when they met, the whole 'love at first sight thing that Disney loves so much'). However this prince doesn't love her and plans to let Anna die, and kill Elsa and therefore take command of the Kingdom.

So Anna then realises that she loves someone, that being her sister. So after a great scene where Anna sacrifices herself to save Elsa. Elsa breaks down and starts to cry and therefore the love from Elsa thaws the now frozen Anna and saving her.

So that's the basic story. However for the last few weeks there has been several articles, even one published by the BBC stating that the film is all about encouraging children to be Lesbians and that Beastiality is accepted in society. Now before I start I am going to make this clear, I have often said and will always say this. I have no problem with what sexuality anyone is, whether that be Straight, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or other. I am in no way supporting these stupid claims which is ruining the magic of yet another good Disney movie.

One song in particular is scrutinized in detail from the movie. This song is called "Let it go" which is about Elsa running away, finding her own freedom and finally allowing herself to use her powers instead of hiding them. However the Article on the BBC Quotes a fellow Blogger, Kathryn Skaggs. She says: "The words to Let it Go are clearly not Christian-values friendly, by any stretch of the imagination, when understood and heard. This is not an innocent song, with a catchy tune. It is rebellious. It mocks moral absolutes. It is careless. It is unaccountable. It is anti-obedience. It is regardless. It is selfish. And if you still disagree, then by all means, feel free to show me how I've misinterpreted the lyrics".

I have provided the video of "Let it go" on the right so that you can watch and listen to determine it for yourself.  However I don't see this at all. This song is about Elsa being able to use her powers and not hide them anymore, something which has brought her great pain and isolation in her life. Personally I love this song, it represents freedom and it allows children to see that they have hidden powers that should be seen not hidden behind closed doors. Saying it doesn't have "Christian-values friendly"  is a stupid way of describing this song. I'm not religious, but how does this song encourage children to "come out of the closet" and become Lesbians? I think that some people need to stop reading too far into this and need to simply sit and enjoy the movie.

However that is not all. It is said that the film also encourages Beastiality which is the act of having sexual relations or contact with animals. This is because Kristoff has a trusted partner of Sven his reindeer who he see's as his best friend. Honestly I think this is just pushing it too far. It is made clear in the story that Kristoff has grown up with Sven from an early age and they have been isolated together for many years. Its a classic story of a isolated boy growing up with an animal and they love and trust each other, what is wrong with that? Children grow up with their loved pets in their own homes, whether that be dogs, cats, rabbits etc. Just because they come home from school and their pet loves to see them and vice versa, does this mean that they are going to grow up and have sexual contact with them? No it doesn't!

I really do not understand people's fascination with this film saying that it has hidden homosexual agendas. Yes some Disney movies have hidden reasons within them, I'm not going to deny that at all. There are several hidden agendas in lots of the classic Disney Movies. However the moral of the story for Frozen is that true love doesn't have to just be from a man you've just met, but family have a special kind of love that can't be broken no matter what. I think that is a wonderful thing to have and for children to learn. A lot of children grow up and unfortunately don't understand that their family do and always will love them. Frozen shows children that no matter how much siblings, parents or other family members fight and argue they still love each other regardless. Please someone show me in any religious book where it says that love in a family is forbidden!

The scene which everyone is scrutinizing and in some cases, parents not allowing children to see is the one on the left. This is the scene where Anna sacrifices herself to save her sister and gets completely frozen from her frozen heart. This is where Elsa then realises that love can thaw a frozen heart and using the love she has for her sister, thaws the kingdom she accidentally froze.

If you watch the film its not about encouraging young girls to become Lesbians. Its about showing children that love is always around them and this helps them realise how special they are.

I want to just cover this point while I'm on the topic. If you do believe that Frozen is about encouraging children to become lesbians and accepting themselves, then what is your problem with it? I am going to be really blunt here and even though I am not religious I do not force any of my beliefs onto anyone, and neither should you. According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, children have a universal right to believe in what they want to believe and choose their own religion and sexuality without the pressures of anyone around them. So what is some children grow up to become Lesbians or anything else, it doesn't really matter. You should stop labeling them and by always taking things out of context, you're just doing more harm. Like I always say and will always make it crystal clear, I have no problem with Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Straights or otherwise. My policy is, if you respect me for who I am, I respect you and that's what everyone should do. So what does it matter? Why do some people always take things out of context?

To conclude this post. I do not believe that the Disney film Frozen has any intention of encouraging children to become Lesbians and slyly suggesting that Beastiality is acceptable. I honestly think that some people in this world need to come into the 21st century and see a film for what it is, a film. Just because its about the love and relationship between two sisters, doesn't mean that its about them being Lesbian. I will sit and argue the point until the cows come home, this is a great movie and I honestly thoroughly enjoyed it. The film has won countless awards and has meaning in it that allow children to understand that they are valued and loved regardless of family issues. Something which Disney recognises is a problem in the modern world. So thats my simple Analysis of Disney's Frozen and these stupid allegations against it, anyone who still believes this film is about encouraging children to become Lesbians, needs to honestly think about their actions and stop taking things out of context, its a Disney Childrens Film!

References and Relates Articles/Blogs
BBC News Article
Rawstory.Com article
Kathryn Skaggs Blog
Recording of a Broadcast by Kevin Swanson

Emily's Hair - One little girl who helps children with cancer.

Please watch the video below:

This remarkable video came up on my Facebook News Feed today and I was very moved by it. Its tells the wonderful story about a girl called Emily James who has beautiful long hair. However she has decided to have a hair cut and instead of throwing the excess hair away, she is donating it to children who have cancer and don't have their hair anymore.


To me this little girl represents the future of humanity. She has recognised that there are children that get sick with Cancer and due to their treatment lose their hair. This made Emily feel sad and made her do something about it. By contributing her hair to a charity that makes wigs for children affected by Cancer she is making a difference. She has also seen that having no hair can be upsetting for any child and they can go through very rough times and even be picked on by other children who don't know what the other child is going through.

Emily is one very generous and amazing child. At the age of three I as a childcare practitioner am amazed that such an act can come from someone so young and delicate. She is a true inspiration to us all and I just had to share this on my blog because I feel like she is setting a brilliant example for other children. She is selfless and caring and that's all that matters. Well done Emily, this caring and selfless act has touched many hearts and has really made my day!

Maths Teachers from Shanghai.

I just read an article from the BBC explaining how the Uk's Department of Education is bringing across 60 Shanghai maths teachers to 'rise the standards' in the UK. They have developed this idea to open up new "Maths hubs" where you can go to improve your maths. All this came because children in China have better maths skills than English Children.

Here is a link to the article: Click Here.

So, does the government actually know what they are doing? This sounds very childish to me. It seems like someone has been reading the test scores of other countries, noticed that Chinese children in Shanghai have better maths than us and simply gone "Oh, well they must have good Maths Teachers. Lets pay them to come over to us and teach us how its done shall we?"

To those that are teachers and work hard to teach Mathematics in any setting whether that be Nursery, Pre-School, Primary, Secondary or Higher its a little bit like being stabbed in the back. Plus its not going to solve the issue at all. There are some children in our country that need extra support to understand the subjects, however with government cuts we are unable to do this. Basically what is the point in cutting back funding for teaching in our English Schools, but then spending that on shipping teachers in from another country because children aren't doing too well in Maths?

If the Ministry of Education actually started to listen to the teachers they might actually learn that Maths is not an easy to subject to teach. It can be very tedious and it can be hard to grasp a firm understanding. Its hard to keep children motivated and focused on some Maths lesson because the standard they want taught are hard to teach without help. I know for example I was never good at Maths, and it wasn't until year 9/10 of Secondary School that I actually started to understand half of the formulas needed. (However it was all bloody algebra and there was more X's, Y's and Z's in Maths than numbers at GCSE, so of course I was going to get mixed up).

Plus not to mention all children learn at a different pace and stage. For example some children can pick up Maths really easy and be able to count and do sums easy, however some can really struggle. I really don't see how bringing over 60 foreign Maths teachers is going to even make a dent or do any difference whatsoever. The Chinese way of teaching is totally different from our methods.

From my module at University on International Perspectives and from my Lecturer and Class mate talking about their experience about the Chinese Education system it is totally different. The picture on the left is a photo taken of a standard Chinese Primary School Classroom during a lesson. From what I understand Chinese children will sit at those desks and learn independantly whether they understand or not. There will be one teacher for all the children in the class and hardly any teaching assistants. It looks like something you would expect to see in an old American or Japanese Childrens Cartoon. However this is how it works over in China. Also Chinese children are put under a lot of pressure to learn. We have to remember that their government and education system is not about being free and developing as they should, its about passing hard tests and not failing as a citizen of the country. Chinese children are taught for long hours and are lectured to and they are expected to know this. Our Education system is based on the children having a better development holistically and allowing them to cherish and grow. We don't necessarily call them a failure to Society because at age Ten they can't work out what 97x46 is. (Which is 4462 by the way)

The Department for Education NEED to stop coming up with stupid and ridiculous ways of bettering our education system. Instead of shipping over 60 random Maths teachers from Shanghai and coming up with a program thats only going to affect a small area of the country. How about they simply give the teachers what they want, more support and funding so they can support children struggling with Maths in their classrooms. There have been countless times I've seen teachers understand that they have children struggling with subjects and want to help them but just can't because the school can't afford to hire someone to come in even part time to assist them. The funding for Education has dropped over the recent years since the Coalition Government came to power. Do they really not expect some things to change?

Personally I am rather offended and annoyed that the Department for Education have basically said that our teaching isn't good enough so they are going to get someone else, from another country no less to do it for us. To me thats just going to piss teachers off and not provide any motivation anymore. Afterall if we're not doing it right, why should we when clearly the Chinese teachers can do it better? Oh, but maybe if they actually let us have the funding and support needed to actually do the job correctly?

So yeah. Thats basically it, I can't believe this is happening and to me the Department for Education is just coming up with yet more stupid and down right awful decisions. I feel sorry for the generation of children that have to go through this.

Japanese Manga - Helping children's reading?

Last Friday we had to create a poster for our lecture, or as our lecturer called it "A graphic organiser". Well it was for a creativity lecture, so I went all creative on it and ended up drawing Azusa from my one of my favorite anime and manga Series K-on (Featured on the right). She was holding her guitar and the information was dotted around her in musical notes. Well of course my lecturer thought this was fantastic, and throughout the break she then threw some very difficult questions at me about anime and manga.

According to my lecturer she watched a program on television which was all about how Japan's birthrate was dropping because middle aged men were all too involved in anime about teenage girls. This of course shocked me, but then again somehow it didn't really surprise me. The one thing I did make it clear to her was that Japan was a totally different culture and out ideologies and society wouldn't function over there. Anime and Manga is a huge part of the Japanese culture and is expanding past their borders and has been adapting itself into other countrie's socities.

However because this is a childcare blog, I have to relate it somehow to that don't I? Well I have some very perfect links. Anime and Manga is not just aimed at the older teenagers. Infact it has many genre's just as our fiction does, and even though it does seem to have the odd obsession with the female endowments, it only seems to tell the truth. Most people that you could bump into the street would pick up a Manga book, see that it has one or two lines about one character commenting on how another character's breasts look bigger than they were yesterday and their automatic reaction is to believe it is some form of hentai.

For those who don't know, hentai is the Japanese word for 'pervert' and is a genre of Japanese Manga and Anime pornography. I wouldn't Google it if I were you, unless of course you're into that sort of thing.

But one thing I have come across is that I have found Manga and Anime a great tool in the past for children. Japanese children read Manga from being able to walk and they are much better readers than we are. The one thing that makes Manga different is that the pictures are high quality and it allows children to easily identify what is actually happening. If you look at a Manga book that hasn't been translated into English or the language that you speak you can easily work out what is going on and have a rough idea what the characters are saying to one another.

So why don't we have that in Western Culture? I'm not saying give five year olds Manga that is set in high school and is about high school clubs and activities. Obviously you'd keep it age specific. However when you look at the reading material's that children are expected to learn from in 2014, they can't hold a candle to what Japanese children are reading. For example, on the left is a page from an Oxford Reading Tree book about "The Magic Key". A key which takes the children on wild adventures. My analysis of this page shows that there is not a lot going on in the pictures. Can you really tell that Chip is saying goodbye and thankyou, and that the pirated don't want them to go? Not to mention the illustrations lack any sense of adventure and action which children nowadays want and which keep them interested into the story. Would you really want to turn this page over and continue? Would you be interested in seeing what happens next? I know I wouldn't.

So now on the right I have put in a picture of a page from a Manga Called "Shugo Chara" which is about a girl in a Japanese Elementary School who has 3 magical character's called "Guardian Characters" which each represent who she wants to be in her heart. In this scene she has found an old observatory whilst looking for a lost friend and has decided to go inside. Typical Manga is printed in greyscale to allow for more emotion in the pictures, however you do get some in colour. You can clearly see the character's expression and worry on her face and you can see what is happening in the pictures alone. Anyone reading this would find it easy to estimate what was happening from just the pictures alone, not to mention even though it is simply entering a building, it has a sense of adventures and makes people want to turn the next page. Captivating an audience and keeping them held into the story. The whole idea of "I never put this book down".

This type of reading material is much more modern and to me is more suited for children on the 21st century. We are living in a world where the media has a firm grasp on children's childhood. There probably isn't one child living in the UK that hasn't heard of Peppa Pig, Ben 10, Thomas the Tank Engine or Bob the Builder. It is through the television and cartoons that children are captivated. A fact for those parents out there, did you know that Ben 10 (Which if you have a child, you've probably had to sit through the torture of) was influenced by Japanese Anime and Manga, hence why the character's have the 'Manga Eyes' that people associate with Japanese Mange and Anime.

If age appropriate Manga was selected for children's reading, I believe they would find it much easier to read. Not only do the illustrations allow children to physically see whats happening and associate the pictures with the text but it is in a modern format which children can correspond to. I know that the hardcore teachers will be like "No, this isn't literature, it should be Great Expectation and Romeo and Juliet that they read first" but I do honestly believe that those types of literature are not the best in the modern changing world.

Children change and evolve with society and so has entertainment. A hundred years ago children would have had books with no pictures in. Then illustrations came along and made it better. Then comic strips became comic books and they took off like a storm. Manga was created across the other side of the world and it has evolved with the times. You will see more children reading comics or magazines now than sitting down with a copy of War and Peace. So why can't we make it part of the curriculum and allow children to get what THEY want out of THEIR reading? I believe that we should allow children to read Manga or Comics, its far more interesting than the Oxford Reading Tree's materials.

So thats my thoughts on Manga when it comes down to children. This is one of the many points I couldn't get my lecturer to understand at all... she was definately old school. I personally believe this is the way forward and any future children of mine will be allowed to read what they want within reason and as long as it is appropriate for the reading level. And seriously, don't Google hentai. I'm not being responsible for anything you may find... 

Children out with parents... weekdays?

Yesterday it was Valentines Day, and I had a lecture in the afternoon. Yesterday was Friday and to me it was a normal working day, it wasn't the half term holidays in my area and as far as I am aware there wasn't any schools on training days. So, how come when I walked into McDonalds to grab a cheeseburger for lunch I saw so many school aged children?

There must be a few people out there that pass children that are clearly school aged in the street at random times in the day and thought "Wait, why are they not in school?". I seem to be doing it more and more often since I went into the career of childcare. Back when I was a child if I has a day off school because I was sick, then it was a case of staying in bed, watching the Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo and Scooby Doo on Cartoon Network, eating soup and getting better for the next day. I wouldn't be taken to McDonalds for lunch, or being treated to new clothes. So why everyday I walk up the high street during the week do I always see at least ten school aged children with parnts or grandparents?

Seriously, does your child's education not matter to you? I see it all the time and frankly it annoys me. Now I know that there are children out there that do attend special schools and every school timetable is different, but the children I am on about are the ones that look like any average school child. I've even seen them dressed in full school uniform before as if they've just come out of school, or were on the way to school and happened to forget to actually attend.

As a training teacher, I can not understand how parents can keep their children off school claiming they are ill and then somehow find themselves at McDonalds or at the children's play area. Am I just being old fashioned in that if you were well enough to eat at McDonalds or play out, then you are well enough to go to school? Do we have a generation of parents who just don't know when to say "no"?

I know that parents love their children, but there should be a limit to what you let them get away with. And to those parents out there that seriously think "oh, its just one day, what harm can it do?" then I say right now that you have no idea. At GCSE level, if a student misses one day of school then it can lead to a whole grade's difference in their overall GCSE results. Can you honestly say that you would rather your child have a D in maths instead of a C because they claimed to have an Ear Ache and you wanted to treat them to McDonalds?

Now I understand having young children out of school at certain times as some childcare settings only provide half days and youo might have to go shopping around your work shifts. Thats perfectly fine, I'm talking about when you see parents with a child which looks around the age of nine or ten years old and they are having a laugh and having time together. I'm sorry, but isn't that what weekends are for? Teachers and childcare practitioners do not work their arses off to give your child a good education and provide the best possible care they can for them, just for you to take your child away and sit in McDonalds thoring a 'sicky'.

I feel very strong against this issue that I have observed. I think that parents who knowingly take their children out of school on mandatory school days should face the consequences. Truant officers are never seen in shopping areas or on high streets anymore. But if they were I bet that most schools would be seeing more and more 100% attendance in their classrooms. Its one of those delicate issues, I would sometimes like to challenge those parents whose child is with them and not in school and ask why, but unforuntely we are living in the society of "I know whats best for my child and not you". Well in this case, I strongly believe that all children that are physically able to attend school should do so and being treated to McDonalds and happily skipping around Tesco is not accpetable when you're meant to be sick.

Ok, I'll leave this rant here. I'm just fed up of seeing parents allowing children to truant from school and then actively letting them do what the hell they like in public.

Valentines, What is Love?

Well a lot has happened since I last posted. Mainly I've been very busy with university work,
however today I had 2 nice surprises. First of all my morning lecture was cancelled due to my lecturer being ill, I hope she recovers soon as it's not like her to take a day off. The second if getting my first ever Valentines card through the post. Yes thats right in the 21 years I've been on this planet I've finally got one, and it actually kind of scared me yet made me smile. (Mainly because I have no idea who its from, and it was posted so said person has my address.... still to work out who its from..).

But anyways, because it is Valentines Day, I thought I'd looking into the side of what love actually is. I'm going to link this into my usual topics of course and look at something which has become a modern issue in the modern world and that is relationships and children.

There are many relationships in the world, from marriage, to civil partnerships to just simple living together. First of all, just to make it crystal clear before I continue. I have no issue with any type of relationship whatsoever. I am not biased towards any particular relationship. However when it comes to children at home I do strongly believe that a relationship between two parents is needed. Children from families that do not have parents who love each other or love them do not fare well in their life.

For example it can be complicated when children are involved in a divorce. It is even worse when their parents don't get on and constantly argue. I know from personal experience that this never fares well and that it can lead to big complications in any child's holistic and social development. When one parents tells a child one thing and the other parents tells the child the opposite it is confusing and can often be hard for the child to determine which is right. I found it hard which side to side with as a child. I never knew if I should do what my father said, or do what my mother said. When I was younger my parents didn't speak after their divorce, and as far as I ama ware they still do not speak now. Most of the vital communication and issues were relayed through my grandparents as they were 'neutral ground' and I often felt like I was shunted between parents like a railway truck that needed putting into a siding on a night.

But anyways, the one thing I just wanted to outline in this entry is that no matter if you are a single parents, married, divorced or living with your boyfriend or girlfriend. The children you have or may have are important and they need love to cherish and prosper. Ensure that you know that you love them no matter what and even if their mummy or daddy leaves, that they still love them and its not their fault. There are a lot of children out there who's parents divorce and they think that its their fault that one of their parents have left. This can make any child feel lonely and shatter their self-esteem. The truth is, it is never their fault. Relationships can sometimes fail, but if there are children you should always lets them know that both parents love them unconditionally and regardless of any circumstances.

Also, if a relationship does breakdown or fail and custody of children is divided in any way or precentage then it is vital that the parents or guardians of the child co-operate with each other. There has been many cases that I've seen and heard about where the child has no idea whether mummy or daddy is picking them up from school and they have no idea which house they are going home to. Remember that schools, nurseries and after-school clubs are not there to act as a 'hand over' service to your ex partner. Also when it comes to the child's health, well-being and even parents evenings. Go together and act civil. Just because you broke up doesn't mean you are worst enemies. Parents with children who are no longer together should come together when their child needs them to be and be the parents you should be.

To sum it up, to all parents out there. Let your children know you love them, in your own way. Even if those children are from a previous relationship and be a decent human being. Don't let them see you argue or bicker with your ex-partner and when they need you be there and show the love you have for them.

Happy Valentines Day.

Formal assessments and testing of 4 year olds? Really?!

Recently I looked at the UK's government plans to extend school hours to nine hours a day, from 9am to 6pm every day for five days a week. I looked into the effects this would have on the children, parents, practitioners and general culture and household lifestyle. However it seems tha recently the Michael Gove, the UK's Secetary of State for Education is once again putting his nose into our Education system and messing it up again with yet more plans.

This time he wants to have children assessed and tested at the age of four and five. After reading an article published by the BBC yesterday I have once again decided to look at this in detail and pull it apart. (Link to article).

So first of all, Gove thinks it is a good idea to have children sit through mini-exams and tests so that teachers can establish "the level of cognitive development that they're at". So, you're telling me Gove that teachers are going to take time out of their planning and lessons that are crucuial at early years to sit a thirty four year old children down on individual tables, give them a pencil and an exam paper and expect them to do it? They're four years old, not fourteen! For crying out loud, its like you didn't even think this through. Most four year old children are just coming up from Nursery and are used to playing around and some don't even know how to spell their own name correctly and you want to test them with an exam before they even start school?

Please someone tell me its just not me that thinks that is a stupid idea that will never work. He claims that we should test children to see what their cognitive development is at. But he does realise that throughout nursery and pre-school the Early Years Foundation Stafe (EYFS) which is the Early Years Curriculum framework already establishes and sets that? The EYFS has areas that through observations of play and activities helps practitioners already determine what age and stage a child's cognitive development is at. Then those same observations, assessments and files that are painstakingly written at the end of a child's time at nursery are passed along to the child's school.

As a early years teacher, you are passed a file with information on what the child has achieved, what he or she can do and how well they can perform tasks. So then you carry that on in your class as the EYFS is still in affect for children upto the age of five and continues into Year 1 of primary school. You already have the data that you need to ensure the children in your class have the best possible development and get what they need each day. But Gove wants the children to sit down and be tested as well, which is going to waste time, money and effort gathering data and statistics that we already have available!

Not to mention at such a young age children are not going to sit still and concentrate to see if they can spell "Dinosaur" or "Mississippi". They're not that bothered about working out what six times three is and why the sky is blue. Its not a true test of their cognitive ability. Most children at the age of four and five are just learning basic phonics and basic mathematics. I'm talking counting to twenty and then Gove expects them to be able to sit through a test?

I think that as a country we are pushing children too bloody hard! We start their education from the moment they are born. They are expected to know certain things and hit certain targets by certain ages or else they are labelled as "behind" or "failing". We over-diagnose them with ADHD and other disorders when they are just trying to be themselves and now we're planning to keep them in school for 45 hours a week and sit them through a series of tasks and exams when they're only four years old? Most other countries such as Finland, Germany and even Japan doesn't have their children start school until they are seven years old and they have some of the best education systems in the world!

Gove stated in an interview "What we need to do is to ensure that schools that are helping the most disadvantaged children in the most difficult areas are rewarded most generously for the work they do in order to advance social justice.". I understand that he wants to help children that live in 'difficult areas' however testing them at the age of four is not the way. Keeping them in school for nine hours a day and tiring them out and turning them into mindless drones is just not the way to do this.

So to back up my claims against Gove, I'm going to bore you all to death and throw some childcare legislation down his throat... The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) states: "Article 29 (Goals of education):Children’s education should develop each child’s personality, talents and abilities to the fullest.". So someone please explain to me how testing children at the age of four is developing the children's personality, talents and abilities to the fullest? Because we all know that if a child is tested and they fail the test they will be labelled as having "Less cognitive development" over the "Standards" and this could seriously damage the child's self-esteem and then this doesn't allow children to have the motivation and esteem to gain what the UNCRC states they should gain from an educational system. 

So basically, Gove has not only decided to extand school hours and term times to ridicolous times which risks their safety and jeposides their time to develop their social interactions with their family; but also he has decided that we need to put young children hardly able to spell their names by testing them and seeing what they can do, wasting time when we already have the data that we need. So then Gove, why are you putting our future generations education at risk just so that the numbers on your desk seem a little bit better? Children will be children they are not statistics. 

I have often said and will stick by it, that politicians that have no experience with children or our education system shouldn't be coming up with new policies and ideas when they haven't been out there and seen how it can affect the children, teachers, parents and our day to day lifestyle. If these policies go ahead then the Conservatives are going to lose the voters of families and teachers across the country and we're going to have a culture where children are over-worked and they have no idea how to climb a tree or be a child and don't have the vital social developments to actually participate in the modern society that we have today. I'm going to end this now, because I could go on forever but I think that this has said enough for the time being...

The reason I chose to go into Childcare.

One question that people always seem to ask is "So, why did you choose to go into Childcare". Well the answer to this is, for me, quite complicated. Four years ago back in 2010, we lost a family member and then everyone started falling out. Therefore as my parents have been divorced now since I was four years old, I had to move in with my mother. When I previously lived with my grandfather.

So I had to make a choice. I had just done badly at my A-Levels in Geography, English Languge and Computing only achieveing C's and an E. However that wasn't enough to get me into University. Back then I wanted to go into teaching in secondary school. So I applied to do a CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Childcare And Education at the college in my mother's town.

Of course being a boy I was the minority in the class. To start off with there was two men including me, but the other male in my class had to quit due to personal problems. But I cracked on. Throughout the two years at College I made some amazing friends who I still talk with now. They have both moved on too, one is working in Austria caring for children at a Holiday resort and another is working hard with special needs children in a school back in the UK.

However, throughout College I was constantly asked if I was gay. I have no idea why anyone would assume this, because I am not gay in the slightest. I have nothing against people who are homosexual or bisexual, but I am a little annoyed that when a man works in childcare they are automatically assumed to be gay.

One of the reaons why I chose to enter into a female dominated career is because I want to make a difference. I chose childcare because it allowed me to gain the skills and qualifications I need to enter teaching. However back when I started I was only focused on getting into a school and teaching. Over the two years at College I got to see a different side and started to love working with the younger children. I have been in classrooms of year one students (Aged 5-6) and loved working with them. At that age the children look upto you (Physically and mentally...) and just want to know more about the world around them.

I've been through numerous placements and throughout college I was the only male member of staff int he entire school. Therefore I was well known across the entire school even by the year groups who I had no contact with. The children seemed to be fascinated with me, because they had never see a man working in their school before and especially working with the younger children in key stage one.

When I work with children and I teach them something new, there is a certain feeling that I can't describe. Its like a sense of pride mixed with a sense of enjoyment and accomplishment. When a child finally starts to learn from you and you know that you have taught them something they will remember for their entire life and pass it onto their future generations, it makes you feel kind of special.

For example, there was once a young girl in one of my year one classes and she was having trouble reading. Her mother and father wouldn't read with her at home and she was on the lowest level of the Oxford Reading Tree. Just for those that don't know, the lowest level is basically "The Cat sat on the mat". For a five year old half way through Year 1 she was really struggling and she was falling behind. The school thought she was Dyslexic, but then I started to work with her. Over the space of just under four months I helped her and supported her with her reading and her work in class and when I left she was reading independatly when only a few weeks ago she needed constant prompting and support.

The day that she opened her reading book and began to read the words outloud without my support, that was the day that I walked around with the biggest smile on my face. I had achieved something and its a wonderful feeling when you know that knowledge is going to make a difference to someones life.

The sense of achievement and accomplishment you get when working with young children is the best feeling anyone can ever have. Its like when your child says their first word, its remarkable. However most people often say "What were you smoking when you chose to work with young children?", well to answer that I wasn't smoking anything at all. I wanted to make a difference to the children that I teach and care for. 

So basically when it comes down to it, the reason I work with children is because I want to make a difference to all the children I care and teach. I want them to be in a better postion in their life than I was when growing up. Making a difference and creating the perfect world for all of our children is my goal in childcare! 

45 hours a week in school?!

I've just read something disturbing. Something that has actually made me wonder whats happening with the UK's Educational System. I've just seen an article posted up on my Facebook feed about the government wanting to increase the number of hours that children attend school, to 45 hours a week! To break that down, that would mean your child will be in the classroom and at school for 9 hours a day!

Here is the link to the article: Article Link

9 hours a day! How in the world do you expect children to sit in a classroom and work solidly for nine hours a day? Some children can hardly manage six. This of course will cause many problems on all sides. So, I'm going to explore them like I usually do. 

Teachers/Practitioners
A Teacing role is not just a 9-3 job like most people think it is. In fact it is a lot more. Lessons have to be planned to achieve certain academic outcomes and to hit the children's developmental targets. Lessons also have to stick to the National Curriculum and be interesting enough so that the children don't fall asleep. This of course takes up a considerable amount of time. This is going to put strain on the teachers and practitioners, if they have to teach for nine hours a day then by the end of the day they are going to be exhausted, worn out and most likely wanting to end up strangling some of the children in the class. Therefore the lesson quality will drop considerably and teachers are going to find it hard to keep children motivated for such a long time. Yes children will have breaks and times to eat, however should we really have an education system that runs for such long times?

Children
The children in schools have only a limited amount of stamina. Some more than others. Younger children are going to find it harder to stay focused and work for nine hours a day. Some children can't sit still for five minutes when they are younger, are you really going to sit them down behind a desk for nine hours? Also when it comes to younger children they will be getting tired by the end of the day and keeping them in school until 6pm is going to end up with quite a few of them sleeping on the desks. The days will be dragged out for them and they will not enjoy being cooped up for so long. Can you see a six year old child being in lessons for nine hours a day and then being bright and cheerful at the end?

Parents
Well this should be a good one to argue. Yes some parents will welcome it as it allows them to pick up their children after work, however others will argue that it doesn't give them anough quality time with their children. Seriously, if you drop your child off at 9am into school, pick them up at 6pm, its literally going to be get home, bath child, feed child and put them to bed. There will be hardly any time left in the evening to talk to your child, play with your child or simply help them with their homework. We'll be turning the children into mindless drones who allt he ever do is sit in classrooms all their childhood.

Summer Holidays
So they want to slash the summer holidays too, to just seven weeks in the summer and have longer terms too. Seriously, what the hell are they planning to do. Keep children in school forever? This means that children are just not going to get the quality time they need with anyone if they are always in school. Children won't be able to go on holiday, go to new places or even visit their own family elsewhere in the courty or world. If they extend the term times then its going to have a knock on effect on everyone, there's going to be more and more children who all they know is school. There are going to be children who don't know what a tree is because they've never had the time to climb one.

So why does the government want to do this? Well its all to save money isn't it. They want to reduce the cost of childcare yet they want children to be in schools longer and terms to be extended? How in the world does that make any sense. Most full time jobs are roughly 37.5 hours a week, so how in the world do we expect our children to do 45 hours weeks when adults can't even do that?

They claim that its going to boost Education Standards. But as a childcare practitioner, I'm telling you it really isn't. Its going to do the opposite. Teachers are going to be so overwhelmed and overworked and underpaid that most will probably end up quitting from stress or will just go insane. Seriously, how does the government expect us to cope with the care of thirty children for nine hours of the day, only to go home and do an extra three hours work unpaid on planning and marking then start again the next day?

I seriously think that having children in schools for 45 hours a week is going to seriously damage the UK's education system. Yes it would save a few million pounds here and there, but is the education and welfare of our children really worth that? Can we honestly put a price tag above out children's heads now and use them as capital? Once again this is the way of the government to save a few million pounds; they predict it will all be good and make it sound fine but they are not living in the real world at all. Unfortunately most politicians (And no offense to any politicians reading this) have never worked in a school environment and don't understand how stressfull and tiring the job can sometimes be, and yes its rewarding but asking for nine hour school days is just too much to ask for.