Have you ever listened to Radio 2’s morning news bulletins? They always end with the results of some new poll or research project. I’m sure they’ll mention this one tomorrow.
The latest is that UK children are less ‘intelligent’ than their counterparts 30 years ago. This ‘intelligence’ is not measured in terms of exams passed or school marks - exams are blatantly getting easier, and have a look at your mum’s O-level papers if you don’t believe me - but rather by administering to a sample of children the same test that was first given in 1976. Today’s youth did not do well.
I don’t think this is particularly surprising. Children learn through creative play and experimentation, neither of which they have any pressing need to engage in. When you can watch Cartoon Network 24 hours a day, why bother?
I don’t think this is an entirely new phenomenon, either. Just have a look at the number of self-taught scientists there were in the 19th century. Were they all incredibly clever back then? No, just bored, I reckon.
TV, games consoles, the Internet and finally, piss-easy exams are making things too easy. There’s no need to find new ways of keeping yourself entertained when you can just sit like a lemon in front of the telly and have it beam effortlessly into your gaping face. I demand a return to children sitting at home rubbing pieces of Lego together because they have nothing better to do. And from those pieces of Lego will spring child prodigies the like of which the world has never seen! Since 1976.
