Schools teach pupils how to claim benefits.....

[Westy Pre-Lit]

Was talking to a customer today who told me his friend is a teacher. He told him that the school he is at is teaching pupils how to claim benefits.

I have no reason to disbelieve him but couldn't comprehend what i was hearing.

Anybody else know anything about this ?

Edited by Westy Pre-Lit on Tuesday 2nd December 18:57

[robinhood21]

Modern day career advisor no doubt. Shocking!

[Simpo Two]

Excellent, we can have a population where nobody works and everybody is on benefits!


And they probably wouldn't spot the flaw in that plan....

(well it works for Africa!)

[robwales]

That's a bloody disgrace, if it's true.

I guess it won't be a problem for children who are from decent families, but for those that are not...

I don't know at what age I became aware of the benefits culture, but before that when I was younger all I knew was that if I didn't make an effort in school and then get a job, I would have to sign on the dole, live in a stty council estate and bear the wrath of society.

[Colonial]

Pistonheads. Hearsay matters.

[Hedders]

Isn't that the job of the benefits department? They have buildings full of benefits advisers!

I don't see why anyone would need to be taught how to claim benefits, unless they are being taught 'tricks of the trade' or something..

Edited by Hedders on Wednesday 3rd December 01:25

[Blue Meanie]

As long as the people claiming are due the money, I don't see what the problem is. Would you be so uppity if they taught kids about how to get a passport, or how to fill in a council tax form? Legally, what are they doing wrong? You need to argue the toss as to what benefits are handed out, not that people are being educated to their legal rights.

[stigmundfreud]

Back in 89 I was in a careers advice class. They asked the lads what they were going to do and we all (mostly) said we were going to work in the local textile mills (all closed now). One of the girls said by the time she is in the 3rd year she'll have a house and xx quid a week to spend. As her sister before her and her sister before (both would have been in cosecutive years above us), she did. Kid + house.

She was a nice girl too, bit off the rails but I recently found out she had died a few years ago from an over dose.

So its nothing new

[Catz]

Schools have no need to pass on this info ...

The one thing "some" parents are able to teach their kids are the ins and outs of playing the system.

[stigmundfreud]

Catz said:

Schools have no need to pass on this info ...

The one thing "some" parents are able to teach their kids are the ins and outs of playing the system.

in the current climate I think its a valid lesson

[Westy Pre-Lit]

Blue Meanie said:

As long as the people claiming are due the money, I don't see what the problem is. Would you be so uppity if they taught kids about how to get a passport, or how to fill in a council tax form? Legally, what are they doing wrong? You need to argue the toss as to what benefits are handed out, not that people are being educated to their legal rights.

Don't you think kids are there to receive an education to eventually get a job and be pushed in that direction. They should be taught the morals of working hard for a living to gain the life style they want and give them the tools in life to do so.

Sorry but i feel schools are there to give career advice, failing their pupils if they feel the need to do this and a sad reflection on today's society.

If they require benefits them I'm sure they will find their way to the claims centre....it's not difficult.

Benefits should be for the needy not the lazy greedy !!!

I want to write more but got to go to work now and earn my keep.....

[thinfourth2]

Westy Pre-Lit said:

Blue Meanie said:

As long as the people claiming are due the money, I don't see what the problem is. Would you be so uppity if they taught kids about how to get a passport, or how to fill in a council tax form? Legally, what are they doing wrong? You need to argue the toss as to what benefits are handed out, not that people are being educated to their legal rights.

Don't you think kids are there to receive an education to eventually get a job and be pushed in that direction. They should be taught the morals of working hard for a living to gain the life style they want and give them the tools in life to do so.

Sorry but i feel schools are there to give career advice, failing their pupils if they feel the need to do this and a sad reflection on today's society.

If they require benefits them I'm sure they will find their way to the claims centre....it's not difficult.

Benefits should be for the needy not the lazy greedy !!!

I want to write more but got to go to work now and earn my keep.....

Maybe we could save some cash and not bother with the whole education bit for the underclass and just give them the cash the minute they turn 16

[slideways]

i cant see what all the fuss is about we do live in a communist state after all dont we??
nationalising banks giving money to the poor and lets face it capitalism got us into this mess in the first place

puts on blind fold stands against the wall ready to be shot

[Blue Meanie]

Westy Pre-Lit said:

Blue Meanie said:

As long as the people claiming are due the money, I don't see what the problem is. Would you be so uppity if they taught kids about how to get a passport, or how to fill in a council tax form? Legally, what are they doing wrong? You need to argue the toss as to what benefits are handed out, not that people are being educated to their legal rights.

Don't you think kids are there to receive an education to eventually get a job and be pushed in that direction. They should be taught the morals of working hard for a living to gain the life style they want and give them the tools in life to do so.

Sorry but i feel schools are there to give career advice, failing their pupils if they feel the need to do this and a sad reflection on today's society.

If they require benefits them I'm sure they will find their way to the claims centre....it's not difficult.

Benefits should be for the needy not the lazy greedy !!!

I want to write more but got to go to work now and earn my keep.....

I agree entirely, however, I fail to see how people can overly complain about this. After all, it's not like they are being taught illegal ways to get benefits, or how to cheat the system. They are undoubtedly being taught what benefits there are, etc. You may not agree with people getting benefits, and you may not agree that the right people are getting them, but that does not mean that people should not be taught what they can, and cannot claim for. The issue you have really is whether or not the conditions for receiving benefits is fair, or not. personally, i think it should be tightened a hell of a lot, but that is another argument entirely. This thread is not about that, it is about people being taught what is essentially their rights, and what they can and cannot claim for. i see no problem at all in that.

[Eric Mc]

Neither do I. Schools often get criticised for not teaching pupils about how society and government works. I don't mind pupils being informed about the benfit system and how it works as long as they are also taught about taxation and personal responsibility within the community.

In Ireland (back in the 1970s) we had lessons in this area under a generic title called "Civics".

[Brown and Boris]

Been about for years.

When a friends daughter was in year 10 about 6 years ago their PSHE teacher was telling the 14-15 year old girls about how to claim benefits and how to get on the council housing list when they copped for a belly full of arms and legs.

The teacher, who insisted they called her by her first name, saw it was a right and necesary piece of education.

[JagLover]

We are just following the example of Sweden in this instance. There were stories of adverts in buses etc targeted at teenage girls telling them what benefits they would be entitled to if they became a single mum.

Sweden is where Labour wants to lead us, a majority of the population dependent on the state, whether through benefits or employment.