‘Little princes’ don’t know how to behave

Mar 25 2008 Western Mail

GROWING numbers of spoilt “little princes” are turning up to class unable to behave because their parents have failed to discipline them at home, a union leader warned yesterday.

They blame others for their own failures and refuse to do anything difficult or boring in a culture of instant gratification, said Amanda Haehner, incoming president of the NASUWT.

But schools must not be expected to take sole responsibility for giving children “boundaries”, she said.

Ms Haehner told the conference in Birmingham, “The rise of ‘the little prince’ and, increasingly, his female sidekick is a cause for concern. The little prince never has to do anything he finds difficult or boring, he does not have to take any responsibility for his actions.

“Anything negative that happens is someone else’s responsibility and if this right to a stress-free existence is questioned, a doting relative will appear immediately to sort everything out.

“Or at least they will until the little prince stops being cute, turns into the household bully and the protector turns up at school, wringing their hands and begging for help.”

She said these youngsters were often “desperately unhappy” and wanted someone to lay down some rules to “make them feel secure”.

“Creating boundaries takes time and effort but cannot remain the sole preserve of teachers and schools,” she said.

She added, “It is not just the responsibility of teachers but the responsibility of all – parents, relatives, neighbours, broadcasters, politicians and anyone with influence over the lives of the young – to demonstrate behaviours deemed acceptable in society.”