2007

With four decades experience working with youth, as a teacher for 31 years, a youth leader, a youth project manager, including leading 200 youth expeditions, outdoor projects, and researching safety, together with creating award-winning special needs courses for teenagers, Barry Howard is urgent about pre-teen and early-teenage groups of youth who need our full attention to improve the quality of their life, with radical long–term programmes. This paper is the third in a trilogy of papers highlighting need and a possible method of approach. In short it is a call to arms.

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The youth of Essex, with I would argue, Southend-on-Sea and Basildon in particular being most at risk, are being educated in such a stultifying and exhausting way that we are still, years after experiential projects have nationally made their mark, forcing youth to undertake ever more academic courses which at best stunt their growth, at worst turn out a listless and or criminal element for which we have only ourselves to blame.

‘Capturing’ youth has to be our remit. We are not doing this. We are failing to talk to them, failing to give them role models, failing even to give them balance in their school life, where for many it is an ever–increasingly painful experience to be hurt by the very people they want to trust – the very people who are there to protect them and give them as much as they can: variety, nurturing, experience, fun (they are after all children…older children, yes, but still with that need for fun), a listening ear, the benefit of the wisdom of years – schools are not fulfilling the whole of their remit, because they are rushing headlong down the road of ‘extreme league tables’. It is tantamount to educational one-upmanship with head-teachers desperately (and I use that word literally) scrambling for every possible re-mark of a GCSE script to gain point one of a percentage mark to beat the next school. Where is the care of the child in this?

I remember one 16 year old boy talking to me within ten minutes of the end of his final GCSE exam…he’d taken off his school tie and binned it …he looked me in the eye and said “Why oh why were the very people I expected to be there to look after me spending all their time doing other things…for five *!+%**! years?! That is, ‘Where were you when I needed you most?’ The youth are saying ‘Listen, help!’

In my office when I was Head of Department in a very large comprehensive school there was a notice: ‘If things don’t improve soon I shall have to ask you to stop helping me.’ That sums up where I believe we are at with some sectors of youth society, and more importantly I know that youth believe this to be true, too. In fact with some groups – street kids and gangs - they of course have disassociated themselves from us simply because they have recognised – unwittingly perhaps – that their lot has not improved and they therefore have told us to stop helping them. Their life then becomes, to them, one big test of how to live without real adult intervention.

They might call it ‘having a laugh’ or ‘gang culture’. It is their adventure; nothing’s certain anymore, they call the shots (quite literally for some) or at least they like to think they do - they are testing and pushing; their road is actually a blind alley where they cannot see to contribute anything to any other society outside of their own small group. They choose to receive little or nothing from outside agencies.

They do however possess drive. It is certainly misplaced; but they are not stay-at-home listless creatures who cannot be driven to get out; they are very much ‘on the road’ and it is this very energy which must be harnessed and channelled. Of course they are looking for their own challenge; it’s criminal perhaps, or at least socially or societally disruptive. They are hardened by years of let-downs, put-downs, misunderstood adults, misunderstanding adults, disadvantageous geography, parental / generational apathy, and schools which wanted them to get five GCSEs at A* - C. Capturing youth has to be our remit. We are not doing this.

What to be done then? It is the biggest question along with ‘How?’ I recognise the excellent work of Outward Bound ©, the inner city outdoor education agencies, and one-off projects which address in part the problems stated above.

I believe that rigorous ‘adventure’ / outdoor training can play a major part towards solving many of the problems we are encountering.

We owe it to our youth to attempt a most radical change to the way they are educated, either in partnership with schools, or without them. We cannot afford ourselves the luxury of self-indulgence – waiting, passing this problem on to others, creating reasons why the task facing us is too difficult. We cannot ‘pass by on the other side’ - whichever way you look at the issues raised in this paper we are doing just that. Ours is the greater guilt. We cannot be at the same place in half a generation’s time when these teenagers roaming the streets will give birth to a fourth generation of street gang members, whose great grandparents, part of the London Overspill Project of the 1950’s populated south Essex – on the dole, having children who never worked, and whose own children are now seeing a familial no-work society as the norm. Our area is experiencing acute inner-city problems in what appears to be a sub-urban area.

I am not naïve to see that the problem only lies with ‘street kids’ or gangs (in the same way I am not naïve to assume that outdoor education / adventure is the only solution); there are many levels of youth which are missing out – in fact by the very definition of ‘school’ we need to address all those up to 16 years of age. A tall order then. However we have priorities and the underachieving, socially, and educationally disadvantaged youth must be clearly in ‘early focus’.

We have to capture youth. Our early remit must be creating the capturing mechanism. This mechanism has to be brought about by bold moves; we cannot, and must not, allow caution to break out. Engaging the ‘correct’ leaders in their field before engaging youth is critical in the long term.

These include Headteachers, police, county council, unitary authorities, youth and uniformed organisations, churches and other faith groups, colleges and universities, private commercial outdoor education companies, and, of singular importance….the business community. In fact every sector of public life should be a stakeholder. Failing to be a stakeholder I regard as a culpable neglect of their duty to contribute to solving a problem of our own making. It should go without saying that it is in everyones’ interest to contribute manpower, ideas, facilities, plant, technology, experience, money and time.

We thus understand the threads need to weave the mechanism, those who control the location of the components….but what to ‘make’? how to build? how even to start? Where? With whom?

In true Hahnian tradition, I too recognise that there is a danger in re-inventing the wheel. What do I want to achieve? Quite simply a fully ‘rounded’ individual - capable of achieving his/her best in a number of skills - who is a responsible member of society and who cares for their fellow man. This aim is nothing new. From the times of Salem and then Gordonstoun (even as far back as Plato) this has been an under-pinning aim – but, the way to achieve it?

We must early on in our plan undertake a trawl to gather men and women with vision and passion who can engage youth. This alone is the key ‘driving skill’ in our repertoire; quite simply if we do not possess this, we have lost the battle, and maybe lost the war too. We need role models with personality, longsuffering, and stamina to see the task through, inventiveness and creativity, humility, Godliness, and passion.

Maybe it will be necessary to have a ‘School of the Outdoors’ right here in Southend - to take youth out of school for weeks at a time - launch into expeditions further afield - to Wales then Scotland and all over Scandinavia, paid for by a cartel of business, County Council, central Govt., and parents. To have such an overwhelming number of adults working in harmony with fewer youth than one might expect, the latter in the presence of ‘greatness’ - real men, matriarchal women, with youth undertaking tough but quality time in working in the community, and expedition, and developing their latent and unique skills that we uncover; we get them fit, and use wilderness as a therapy. We ensure placement for employment too at the end of our programme. We set the highest standards in appointing our adult mentors, we need adults with a quiver full of skills, from administration to fund raising - the art of persuasion, people with practical and outdoor skills…..and that all-important but indefinable quality of ‘presence’. My ideal then.

It will come as no surprise that the areas where we need to concentrate in our preparation are getting time and money. Let me remind you: let not caution break out here. Boldness is not up for debate, it is the only option and we cannot allow ourselves further luxuries of leaving the solution to youth problems to the next generation simply because we get sidetracked, stonewalled, or sneered at from the business community or local authorities.

In my paper ‘There is Always More in You’ (pub. 2005) it was a lesson learnt from the very youth the Outward Boundã Instructors were teaching, that returned back to the organisation when trying to manage new projects….that is we also must realise there is always more in us. Quite simply, don’t give up.

The infrastructure needed can be classed as daunting in amount and complexity - or it can be accepted as that’s what’s needed and we get on with finding it; again the work that I believe is critically urgent needs the best there is - in accommodation, office, staffing, ideas, ‘engineering’ these ideas, and funding. At present we in South Essex have virtually nothing that can radically address the problem of youth underachievement, and youth ‘problems’ in all their multi shades of grey. These problems will not be solved on a ‘shoestring’ budget, for serious problems need serious, aggressive, solutions; we’ve created these by letting our youth down; it is our responsibility to provide the way out. It is our responsibility to lead the way out.

Part of the capturing mechanism must necessarily include the recognition of the heroic and heroes. The reason for this is that children and older youth understand this; it is a common currency; there is an inbuilt need for a role model and someone to look up to – in any youth culture. Children and youth also have an inbuilt potential to copy the heroic. It is this which I believe is capable of providing a major hook to capture.

A hero is someone who is up to the challenge, who, when called upon to face up to an inevitably difficult situation, produces hitherto undiscovered latent qualities and abilities…who gives him/herself to something that is larger than they, and begin to operate outside their normal range of activity.

It is rare to find youth who having displayed overtly heroic physical actions such as saving a life, then becoming involved in antisocial behaviour or displaying indifference towards their peers.

We need people with the wisdom of years – I dare to call them ‘statesmen’ – with culture ie they’ve been places, done things and developed their own solid, familial, tried and tested rationale for successful living (and all that that means), forged in the white heat of years and years of everyday life, where he’s interacted with other people and very probably successfully brought up his own children. Almost certainly he was their hero. His culture is of inestimable value. The word ‘culture’ has the same linguistic root as the word ‘survival’.

Why the emphasis on men? Because the culture of men is dying out; youth envisioning, the place of heroic figures, and positive role models desperately, critically, and urgently needs men. In the 24 Basildon Primary Schools I have worked in through 2007, 18 had no men on the premises at all, day in, day out. The capturing mechanism I am proposing needs to play a big part in restoring this balance. Let me make it clear I am not stating that female role models have no place; they do; but so do male role models and in some sectors of youth society there are, quite simply none at all. Male role models are seen by youth as very different – not just in gender but in what they provide when youth need them most.

Thus as those who are responsible for leading us out of the mess we have created, we must create a mechanism which produces a cleansing experience of adventure, self-less giving of oneself, and personal enterprise using role models to encourage, persuade, listen, take an interest, and impel youth. The bombarding of youth – impelling them into experiences - who trust their role models, is a recipe for extremely rapid, deep, and long-lasting change.

All of this cannot be done in an hour on a Thursday morning, once a week for six weeks. We have to be serious and bold about this! It needs a very, very, careful consideration of time. Statesmen need to build relationships; journeys take time; I would say that, arguably, a long, ‘self propelled’ and largely self sustaining physical journey or activity is a critical element in our capturing mechanism. I also recognise that it is not the only way.

Struggle hones; it is an unpopular thesis but certainly in outdoor adventure training it is largely true; empathy with people who need help also hones and sharpens. The youth groups I have led in first aid teams, search and rescue, and similar ‘emergency’ groups have displayed interesting and life-changing qualities, for when told to help it was nowhere near as well received by both sides as when asked to help in a genuine crisis; the heroic came to the surface and not once did I ever find the tasks – onerous at times - anything other than very well done. Selfless help, rescue, and emergency aid given without reward is the highest form of human endeavour, eclipsing everything, the truest mark of the citizen.

Thus a second element to this capturing mechanism’s structure should be community service and emergency service training – with a large emphasis on first aid and rescue.

Urban and suburban solutions to achieving this type of community service: search, and emergency aid - will tax those who head up this aspect of the initiative; but then we need and will have ‘ideas’ people and I believe you are out there ready to contribute.

Community service enables understanding, acceptance, and identification – things that the average disaffected youth finds alien, but once adopted, again like the outdoor aspect, rapidly and radically changes the psyche. A physical handicap, blindness, or the limitations of age, can be powerful agents for change through the youth being immersed in the other persons’ situation; the learning will not be the responsibility of the adult ‘leaders’; it will be incremental and work despite the youth (and the adults) not because of him/her.

This service is a powerful tool in ‘diverting’ youth, heading off gang culture, socially unacceptable behaviour, and selfishness.

What is required to follow up the youth’s involvement is the adoption by the youth in question of a different way of looking at life; this is quite simply a life-changing need; the youth cannot be allowed to ‘go back’, ‘safe return doubtful’ to their old ways. This aspect of caring for this generation will alone tax the statesmen, the team, the adults passionate about making a difference; we have to ask how do we show them a better way?

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So, what of you? Where are you in all this? Can I count you ‘in’? What are your skills, passions, courage, availability? Where do you see yourself in 10 years time when this current youth generation will have gone so far down the road of confusion about who amongst the now older adults – (us) - is there left….. to guide and develop, cajole and pass on wisdom?……are we really going to pass by on the other side? What are your hidden, latent abilities? Are you a listener? a doer? an ideas person? an ‘engineer’? How much stamina have you really got to see this through to a conclusion?

Can we afford not to undertake radical action to divert youth, save youth, impel, and empower youth? For we are losing the youth; we have to capture them; it is our responsibility; at the moment we are not doing this. It’s time to get our hands dirty.

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Youth:

Adult:

My black friend Anton, 10, said to me the other day “I have to join a gang; I’ll not survive without being in a gang – it’s my only option”.

“Did you know that we actually had a crack den on the school premises ……” Primary School Headteacher

“There are no males in the school at all…at any time....every adult from Head to caretaker, cook to teacher is female.” Teacher

“There are a substantial number of these pupils [Year 5] who are the drug runners for their parents – cocaine, heroin, cannabis; it’s their life; they come to school only for respite but the school might as well be on another planet as it bears absolutely no relation to their ‘real’ life. It will play no part in their future – just a distant fast fading memory of irrelevant time wasting.” Primary School Teacher

“Some of these kids have not seen their parents awake for days on end….mum, dad, mum’s boyfriend, dad’s girlfriend, are out all night every night and come home either drunk every night and/or drugged up to the eyeballs on smack and the kids are clearing up the vomit, doing the washing, trying to buy groceries, and looking after their younger sister – at the age of 9 – then getting to school for breakfast; they have one set of clothes.” Teaching Assistant / Mentor Junior School

“Oh yes some guy was shot here – in full view of 200 children – 3.20 at end of the school day” …passing comment by local Headteacher.

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B.J.Howard ©

December 2007

huntertraining@hotmail.com

‘Where were you when I needed you most?’ 7. © B.J.Howard Dec. 2007