To North Wales yesterday to visit a school. A great time was had talking about writing and reading, getting children involved in drama activities and answering questions. They even invited me to open their library and tell a story at the end of the day. I came away full of enthusiasm. Thanks very much to the staff and children of Rydal Penrhos School.
Then, on the way home, driving on the coast road through rain coming in from the Irish Sea, I listened to a programme about newly qualified social workers and was struck by the sharp contrasts we have in childhood experiences in this country. An hour earlier I had spoken to a group of eager girls, who wanted to be writers, doctors, vets and a whole host of other professions. On the radio, I then listened to stories of children locked in their bedrooms to protect them from dangerous relatives. And governments still want to blame social workers and teachers for not radically changing the outcomes for these children because it deflects from the very real mess in some inner city areas where governments can make a difference. Like Sure Start nurseries, for example. A simple idea, well-executed, that worked and is now being cut severely.
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