This is a relatively recent phenomenon, as a deterrence to crime and anti-social activity and often it's mandated by law (e.g. in bars, off-licences <liquor stores>). Many law-abiding people feel more assured when they see CCTV.
True, but they do little to prevent crime.
This surely has to do with the differences between the two countries about the role of schools and their legal powers. Attendance at school is legally required for those under school leaving age (16) - unless they are home-schooled, and the school is given powers to sanction absences for serious and compelling reasons (except term-time holidays).
Attendance is legally required here in Canada but it is up to the parents to determine if there is a legitimate reason for the child to be absent, not the school. In Britain, it is up to the school.
You often hear teachers claiming that it disrupts their teaching if a child is away which makes no sense. I have taught at the university level and, if people are absent, it makes my job easier not harder. And if teachers in Canada can easily handle absences why can teachers in Britain not handle them just as easily?
When children start school, parents and guardians enter into legally binding agreement with the school about their respective responsibilities. While the school has duty of care and is responsible for their educational progress, parents must ensure the children attend school regularly and complete their homework and other assignments. Parents can be taken to court and punished if they persistently neglect to ensure their children's regular attendance, including jail term.
And that is over the top. Our schools have a similar relationship with their students and parents but still manage to function perfectly fine without the threat of jail hanging over a parent's head. If we can do it here, why can't they also do so back in Britain?
As for the 'duty of care', that saying makes my head explode because it is so overused, often in the silliest ways. I am not speaking about your use of it, just in general.
Many British homes are inadequately insulated and heated, and hypothermia among the elderly and disabled is a real issue that needs to be addressed. Fuel poverty, where the vulnerable have to choose between eating and heating their homes, is real and a serious social issue. Government does give grants to help insulate homes and replace inefficient heating systems, but more needs to be done to eliminate the scandal of vulnerable people dying or falling seriously ill during the colder months.
All of that is completely false (well not the fuel poverty part as fuel prices are too high, but the part about people dieing from the cold is false).
I work in PR and know spin when I see it. Hell, I write it for a living! Whoever spun the facts and figures in the government report to become "people are dieing from the cold" did a masterful job because people have bought that tripe hook, line, and sinker when it isn't even remotely true - and I know it is not even remotely true because I have read the government report from which those claims originate.
I have to get cleaned up so that I can get out of here for a couple of hours so I don't have time to go into any more detail now, but I will do so later tonight and, when I have done so, you will have a better understanding of my argument that those claims are completely false. I should also still have a copy of the report, which I will post, in order to substantiate what I am saying.
If you've lived here for a number of years and find out truths for yourself, you will begin to understand how British society operates and many problems that still need to be tackled and solved.
One of the problems is jobsworths. Another is people simply not thinking for themselves. That relates back to my comments about the excess winter deaths and, again, I will go into more detail later tonight.
Here in Canada the right to remain silent is absolute and remaining silent cannot be used against you, or even be cause for suspicion. Now these last two issues only apply to those who get themselves arrested, but I thought of them because I have a lot of British cops in my family and have had discussions about this with them.
