The Customer Experience Part Two

As I sat in the Induction Meeting at A4E, which I had to attend because I have been unemployed for one year I felt as if I had stumbled into an audition for the "Jeremy Kyle Show".  There were nine of us at the meeting; one person had just come out of prison and his probation officer was going to help him, one very young girl was extremely pregnant and her friend had come with her, both of them wore track suits and sat staring into space, another person admitted to alcoholism.  The trainer discussed their problems as easily as if she were talking about the weather but I felt embarressed for these "customers" of A4E, these were personal issues which, if any of these had been a problem of mine, I wouldn't have wanted aired in public but no one seemed to mind. When the young man sitting next to me was introduced he asked about becoming self employed and setting up his own business, he had a business plan, determination and from listening to him he sounded focussed and just needed help to get going.  The reaction of the trainer surprised me she said he shouldn't think he could become a manager or go for a "top job" because he felt like it and he needed a business plan ( obviously she hadn't listened to him because he had a plan).  She had already talked about CVs and how to display any skills or qualifications you might have stressing punctuality, and being a good team player, but, she told us don't use any big words you can't understand.  It was in this context of watching the creation of mediocrity and low expectations that I opened my big mouth because I can't stand to see people put down. "Oh yes, you can start a business" I heard myself say "I did it from scratch, with no money or help, in fact I've done it twice".  The trainer gave me a long look and began to back track - of course a person could be self employed and have a company but it took a lot of hard work and passion and the careers advisor would help with his idea.  As I left the meeting I stood in the sunshine outside the building and thought about how important education is and how everyone in that room, including the trainer had been failed by the education system.

As I wrote in my autobiography "Pulling Myself Towards Myself" I grew up in Australia and had a first class education at one of the top private schools in Melbourne. I left school and became a Librarian and when I went travelling around the world I took, what others might call "menial" jobs working in a shop, running a market stall and cleaning houses but I never felt "menial" or of a lower class but that was because of my background and how I viewed myself.  If you don't have a good level of education it is hard to hold your own in a fast changing society which uses "big" words and concepts that are beyond you and it is hard to have any feelings of self worth and pride in yourself.

For hundreds of years education was prized and cherished beyond all else:  slaves taught each other to read in secret, women taught each in little groups hidden from sight, working mens institutes held night schools and courses that workers could attend after their shift finished and they were right because if you can read, think, reason and express yourself you are free inside your mind and a world of opportunities opens up that you can be part of.

Today, we have free education for all children but the education offered is shrinking the life not expanding it and I don't know why.  I talk to the children in my street, they are nice kids with good parents but what they want for themselves is so little and it breaks my heart.  When I was nine I knew I would be a world traveller, a writer and my life would be magnificent!  Now, most of them want to be famous, be in the newspapers or on tv, one or two want to be footballers, all of them want lots of money but they don't know how to read well although they are all impressed that I write books but when I say they could write too they laugh and think I am crazy. The summer holidays are here and I am going to see if I can set up a little readng circle amongst the kids in my street, just a couple of hours a week to help with their literacy, it will be free and maybe it will be the start of opening up some of the opportunities this new generation of "customers" are being denied.