In an amusing and acerbic article about "Britain's laziest women," Mark Steyn puts the blame on the British school system for its tendency to produce "sponges" instead of disciplined and motivated competitors:
The other day the Sun bestowed the title of "Britain's Laziest Woman" on Susan Moore of Burythorpe, North Yorkshire...as Alastair Taylor explained: "Super-sponger Susan, 34, has not done a day's work since dropping out of college in 1988."
Despite receiving "Jobseeker's Allowance" for 16 years, she does not seek jobs, and never has.."I just haven't been given a chance," says Susan. But when the space on your CV for the period from adolescence to early middle-age is one big blank, no one's ever going to give you a chance. It's hard to think of anything capitalism red in tooth and claw could have done to Susan Moore that would have left her worse off than the great sapping nullity in which Her Majesty's Government has maintained her for her entire adult life.
When welfarism becomes the organising principle of society, as it is in much of the West these days, the danger is that a Susan Moorish inertia descends on the entire state. I see that the Duke of Edinburgh has called for schoolchildren to play more team games because they learn so many "valuable lessons" - effective co-operation, self-discipline, rules, competition, etc. Good luck to His Royal Highness commending those to Britain's educational establishment.
Primary schools have given up on the egg-and-spoon and sack race because, under the great Cult of Self-Esteem, it's too much to ask a child to endure the sting of defeat. A third of London schools play no competitive sports. Teachers are uncomfortable with the notion of an "opposing side" one must strive to "beat" - just as, in the war on terror, many grown-ups are uncomfortable with the notion of "the enemy": to the progressive mind, there are no enemies, just friends whose grievances we haven't yet fully acknowledged.
Where did this idea that children are irreparably harmed by any competition whatsoever come from? And why didn't anyone foresee that instilling a fear of competition into children is much more likely to produce a gaggle of Susan Moores than a country full of productive citizens?
The responses to the story on Ms. Moore, by the way, are heartening. The following is a typical example:
THERE is never an excuse for not working except in recognised cases, such as for health reasons. So it makes my blood boil to see people like Susan Moore.
To make excuses that there are no suitable jobs is disrespectful to those who support such idleness by working and having their taxes spent against their wishes.
If you are not employed but are employable, surely stacking shelves in a supermarket or something similar shouldn’t be beneath you?
Posted by kswygert at February 25, 2004 12:12 PM