Experiences -  you do not get to my age without having positive and  negative experiences. I have learnt from them all and continue to do so.  

The people l have met and worked with on my continuous journey,  have all been great teachers, although with some,  l may not have known it at the time ! 

Being able to study has enhanced my understanding of many issues  from the theory side of things.  It has enabled me to  research and evidence questions of the  hows' and whys'  and it  contributes to the knowledge of my life experiences. 

This year  l failed  a module. I did not see this as a disaster, but as an opportunity to enhance my understanding of the subject.   

 Some of the  bureaucratic  systems in place, have been  frustrating  at times and   can led  you  into the depths of despair ,  patience and understanding are skills that are  definitely required ! 

 I feel that to move forward within any walk of life, there has be an awareness and appreciation  of all generational attitudes, contexts  and view points along with the ability to actively listen and learn in order to move forward and promote change.

    I have and still continue to learn from all at the OU.

Why is it that we compare ourselves to other countries ?

Each country is unique, from the  demographics to societal culture and history.

How can we compare our working  and societal models to other countries ?  

What is it that we truly have in common with other countries ?  Answer; We are human .

We use broken work models such as target setting which have done nothing but cause panic and anxiety to those that are on the ground floor trying to do their best along with staff shortages.

 Education is now mainly sponsored by big companies .Academy sponsor list - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

How to Attract Sponsors and Partners to Your School | School Procurement | The Headteacher.

Who in the end is making a profit from that and how can education then be impartial?

These models do not work yet we still persist because it works in some  other western countries with different work ethics and values due to their own culture.

Is it time to take stock, stop comparing ourselves with other countries , review, educate ourselves about our society and our country and build strong foundations which are tailored to our country and not others. . 

I am at a loss when listening to minsters say that they will not get involved with negotiations with public sector workers grievances.

 Can someone explain what is their actual role as ministers ?  

It appears to  me, that due to many public sectors being outsourced to private companies, ministers  have no authority to intervene  so why are they in post ? 

Could it be seen as  another false economy that tax payers are paying for ?

 It appears minsters have given their powers away to private companies who are there to make profits for investors and are NOT there for the welfare of the public. 

Public sector ?  Could that name be construed  as false representation ?

Ministerial accountability | The Institute for Government Is this working within all government departments at present or are some, using the election of a new Prime Minister as a 'get out' clause for accountability to parliament and the electorate ? 

 Finally, the conservatives appear to be trying address some issues that are genuinely affecting UK society.  The housing shortage, being one issue. The new idea and I stress idea is to saddle future generations with family debt of a mortgage.

It appears that if you have an axe to grind with family members this could be a good way of saddling them with debt. What happened to Rishi Sunaks’ comment regarding the economy and not wanting to push the children into debt ?  Rishi: It’s ‘un-conservative’ to load future generations with debt from Covid crisis | Politics | News | Express.co.uk

We can’t burden future generations with debt, warns Rishi Sunak | Evening Standard.

How will this affect families in the long run and how do they tackle the issue of inheritance tax?

Is this on the premise that the conservatives will be in power for generations to come and can reassure society that it, ‘will be a good thing to do?’ For whom?

The issue of ‘right to buy’ has been a disaster.  Offloading housing association and council houses to owners that have to folk out for all the repairs that have mounted up due to the lack of maintenance of the property.  As a result, some again return to unaffordable debt, thus forced into selling their dream due to not being able to afford the mortgage. And so, the cycle begins again and the only ones to profit are the housing  associations and councils who no longer have to worry about the maintenance of their properties.

Social housing is there for a reason, it is there to aid those in society that are unable to buy property and they should not be exploited by others.

If we wanted to respect others and diversity, we should stop selling off social housing and concentrate on repairing, building, and sourcing habitable housing that is already available.

This is such a social class issue within the UK if we are to move forward, we need to break down the myths and barriers surrounding housing and supply housing that is not party to being sold off by associations and governments when times are tough.

 As the government wish to relive the past, to tackle the housing crisis it might be an idea to start with the, ‘1919 Addisons’ Housing and Town Planning Act’, Council housing - UK Parliament detailing the reasons why social housing was introduced .

 The 'illegal asylum seekers', l find it fascinating that the UK government are using this approach thus the deflection is taken away from the main source, traffickers. Why? Is it to influence the British public into thinking that all those that have no other safe passage are not to be trusted.

 How about the boot being on the other foot ? What experience can you say you have had ? 

Lets take the chaos of the holiday situation and you were stuck at your holiday destination but you knew you had to be back because  your circumstances may result in you possibly losing your regular  income. How, for those that have been in that situation thought rationally ? If someone offered to assist you in getting back in time , how many of you would have grabbed that offer ? 

 Would it matter  if you went overland  with a person who you trusted  with the words, 'l can help you'  Who should be persecuted you or the profiteer? 

Sadly we cannot begin to understand the trauma  of those that are seeking refuge but this scenario might just give you a small insight,  as to how you may get swept up by those that wish to exploit people for their own gains. The injustice, that you feel, that others have put you in to make you feel so vulnerable. 

 You have the luxury of not being persecuted to the extremes of others.

So why are the government using this strategy ?

Europe appears to be setting its sights on the actual traffickers and not the venerable and have various approaches to targeting the main source. 

 Some in the UK  government appear to be naïve in its  approach to thinking that  by not targeting the main source (traffickers ) but those that are used as pawns  they will deter .

How many on the flight to Rwanda where the main source, traffickers ?

 Having an understanding of reality assists in knowing that traffickers will find alternative  methods and  ways to carry on with the exploitation of people.

Links attached to assist with this emotive topic. 

  Targeted: migrant smuggling kingpins with links to more than 180 investigations | Europol (europa.eu)

   Trafficking in Human Beings | Europol (europa.eu)

This is the time of year where we are all preping for exams. It can be an exciting and daunting time for all.

We are lucky and privileged  to be able to have this opportunity, however, for some who have dreams and aspirations of  moving on to higher education it  can be hindered  because of being  displaced . Forced to move  from  countries due to circumstances that are not within your own control, can be an anxious and frightening time.  All the dreams that one can have can be gone in a blink. We all are not keen on change but what if you had those aspirations of going to university to assist with making your country a better place through collaboration with others, to be able to study enabling you to  help and assist others, and it had all been taken away. 

What would your new prospects look like how would you feel ?  

Taking this into consideration the Open University have, have decided to give  twelve scholarship places within the Open Futures Sanctuary  Scholarship.  There are also fifty OU Access module fee waivers which covers the cost of one access module starting in 2022. It is open to all those that are ''UK residents and have been displaced from their country or homeland due to political, economic, environmental, and human rights issues.'' This is the opportunity to pick up the baton again and  regain your dreams.

If you wish to find out more information for yourself or for someone you know who would be interested then follow the link and pick up that baton.

Sanctuary Scholarship | Open University

Good luck to every student, where ever you maybe with your up and coming exams.

Having looked at the higher education bill, l was concerned to see that there is a caveat surrounding free speech.

What is meant by ‘academic freedom’?

Academic freedom was established in law in 1988. Section 202 of the Education Reform Act 1988 gave academic staff the right “to question and test received wisdom, and to put forward new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions, without placing themselves in jeopardy of losing their jobs or the privileges they may have at their institutions.”

Academic freedom is one of the public interest governance principles which all higher education providers registered with the Office for Students (the higher education regulator in England) must comply with.

The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill would add the caveat that academic freedom exists only within an academic’s “field of expertise”.

How many have heard this term before ? 

How many of us know what it means ? 

Defensive medicine is relevant to us all. Yesterday l read the article which  explained the difficulties that one person had, to be listened to by   health professionals and dentists. Sadly due to the practice of defensive medicine, treatment became delayed which has had a profound affect on their health .

Dentists would not treat my toothache – now my health has been wrecked for ever | Health & wellbeing | The Guardian

How many  can associate with the trial of  not being listened to and to be taken seriously ?

How many times have you come away from your consultation and given up due to the response of the health practitioner  after having many tests  giving a  negative result but yet symptoms persist ?

Do you know your own body ? Can a Dr know your body from just seeing you for less then  minutes?, Are we seen as  all being  cloned and not individuals? Time consuming perhaps ?

Having read the article and others  sadly it appears the attitude and response to their plight is not uncommon but appears to be the, 'norm'. ,The blame game'.

How did we get to this situation ? 

Can it be that the health profession are so fearful of the public or is it the ego and fear of being wrong ?

Are we the public at fault for relying on the health service and worshipping it as an all encompassing hero and when not  lived up to the expectation we want MONEY ! Will that bring back the quality of life ? Is it the purpose of litigation to  humiliate or to prove a point that the patient was right and knew their own body? 

Defensive medicine: It is time to finally slow down an epidemic - PMC (nih.gov)

Who creates such fear and why?

How many conditions could be prevented and the quality of lives returned, if patients were listened to

and, health professionals  could set aside their fear of litigation?

Surely defensive medicine is costly and a false economy , it is just blighting the health of the nation and the health service because, the fear of 'what if ' is to great.

https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/41079/html/

How do we feel about Easter ?

After the events of this week regarding the UK parliament, my attentions turned to how many will be attending religious services and celebrations celebrating Easter,  along with many others.

  Is this a hypercritical  process , To absolve  all the decisions  and the  justifications  that  have  been made to favour one group over another ? 

 How do people justify this to their faith under what guise do they use?

Will it assist in giving them absolution  to carry on ? 

Do they 'cherry pick' the bits that help them  to justify their cause ?

Humanity ?

The true and unsightly part of  being human maybe ? 

Maybe we should more inquisitive when it comes to humanity so that we are able to understand  why.

 I hope that all have a peaceful  Easter. 

Just in case this may of got passed you all.

The Joint Committee on Human Rights has warned that Government proposals to reform the Human Rights Act risk weakening existing human rights protections (13/04/22)

Human Rights Act reforms would weaken human rights protections in the UK - Committees - UK Parliament

I think the government may need  a reminder on the definition of Democracy and start applying it to there departments. 

 Democracy definition by Oxford English Dictionary (last accessed 12/04/22) 

https://www.oed.com/oed2/00060572

democracy

(dɪˈmɒkrəsɪ) Forms: 6–7 democracie, 6–7 (9) -cratie, 7 (9) -craty, 7– -cracy. [a. F. démocratie (siː), (Oresme 14th c.), a. med.L. dēmocratia (in 13th c. L. transl. of Aristotle, attrib. to William of Moerbeke), a. Gr. δηµοκρατία popular government, f. δῆµος the commons, the people + -κρατια in comb. = κράτος rule, sway, authority. The latinized form is frequent in early writers, and democratie, -craty, in 16– 17th c.]

1. Government by the people; that form of government in which the sovereign power resides in the people as a whole, and is exercised either directly by them (as in the small republics of antiquity) or by officers elected by them. In mod. use often more vaguely denoting a social state in which all have equal rights, without hereditary or arbitrary differences of rank or privilege.

The time had come to renew the driving licence that used to be valid until you where 70 years old. (I my feel like it at times but not quite there yet !)

Online we go to fill in the form and bingo ! They ask for a national insurance number, driver number. house ,number and everything bar the kitchen sink but when you do not have a passport it declines your submission.

 You are informed   if you have no passport  you  have to go to a designated post office and either renew it there or fill in the  form and pay more for the privilege and post it. Not a problem l hear you cry.

I then began to think of how discriminatory this is for people that  have disability issues, (mobility) , people that live in a rural areas, and those on benefits and how much more they have to pay because they have chosen or cannot afford the passport.

Again we see the class divide. Unable to provide a passport then you can't afford the privileges of being able to access even the basics. Who has dreamed this idea up ?  It appears that there is someone who is hell bent on stopping certain groups from travelling unless they can pay higher charges because they do not have a passport.

This is not about security, this appears to be a way of keeping control and partitioning society .

According to the definition sovereign power  lies with the people not just the few. (hmm!)

Time to come clean to society and the rest of the world.  

Autocratic rule  v Democracy ? You decide.

AUTOCRATIC | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary

Listening to LBC this morning l  was sparked to write as someone had criticised the personal appearance of  Boris Johnson on the 'world stage'. 

How much have we been influenced by past generations as to' appearance is everything', is it really ?

A person that wears a suit and  has a 'good'  haircut and a smile - professional?  what are the  first perceptions ? Educated, good  status, trustworthy, medical professional, cleaning operative, lower class, or  hidden disability ?

A person  scruffily dressed, tattoos, ear piercings, dyed hair, ? First perceptions ?Uncaring , disinterested, criminal, unintelligent , lower class,   medical professional, scholar,  artist, or  valuing their diversity?

Are we still more interested in 'the look' rather than the capability ? 

 Can this be a big deflection to our progress ?

We have come along way but there is still  is the perception of what you look like defines you. 

What does it achieve when we criticise personal appearance? Control? Were is the diversity? 

How many of us took notice of the amendment Chris Grayling made? How many of us cared ?

We have all said at one time or another, 'it doesn't matter they will do what they want' and that is the assumption they use to assist in making and amending such laws.

How many of our, 'freedoms' have been eroded due to that context and who is the UK prime minister actually referring to when he mentions, 'people and freedom'? Are some hankering for a past ideal  and do not have the confidence to understand that we live within a global world and society?

 It appears, to get unpopular legislation amended and passed through parliament the , 'distraction technique' can be used. This way the air time it receives is minimal. Instead of headlining it is placed strategically within the news with emotive subjects either side to deflect scrutiny. 

For certain laws it is based on the presumption that they are protecting you that is vital and part of their job, but also this can be seen to be taken to the extreme where is the median ?

 I have found Petitioning  to be a good way of being able to voice your opinion. If the petition raises enough signatures it then has to be reviewed and, as with one recently,  the bill again is reassessed and put forward  to the House of Lords, if the House of Lords reject the bill it cannot be passed until an agreement is met with the House of Commons.

Don't' give up in putting your voice across because as we have seen with P&O sooner or later those laws will effect each person in one way or another.

 Change in law signed off by Chris Grayling meant P&O could sack staff without telling govt, maritime lawyer says (msn.com)

Change in law signed off by Grayling allowed P&O to legally sack 800 staff (thelondoneconomic.com)

UK Parliament

'World Beating' is  the P.M referring to the past ? I think the script drastically needs a reality check !