Page 2679 - Week 09 - Thursday, 9 August 1990
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there. The subjects that were taught and what was taught within those subjects I did not see as being particularly relevant to living. In the many years since I have left school their relevance has become apparent to me. My education in life - the university of life, if you like - has occurred almost totally since I left school.
Yet we have children going to school for 10, 12, and even more years. It is absolutely unbelievable, as a professional trainer, that in that time you cannot teach children what they need to know to feel good about themselves; to understand the value of setting goals and to be able to operate effectively in a society. I find that incredible. What can be done in a weekend or weeks of training, let alone a year or a decade, is marvellous if you addressed the right things.
One needs to look at what abilities a child needs to operate successfully in life and then ensure that it has those. Children certainly need self-respect; they certainly need to be taught, not so much about the rights of the child but about some responsibilities. What about some obligations? Children are not effectively being taught these things, and until they are we will not see a change in the problems that youths find themselves in.
There is a particular problem in our society that usually does not get addressed much and that is to do with rock music and punk rock heroes. These people are, in the main, appalling role models to follow. They talk about rebellion, promiscuity and drugs; that is the general lifestyle of someone these - - -
Mr Duby: Sex and drugs and rock and roll.
MR STEVENSON: That is exactly right, Mr Duby. I saw a clip on television not so long ago - it was about 1 o'clock in the morning, on MTV or one of the programs. The members of the band - there were four members - were naked. I have seen most things but this was about as far as you can go. Believe it or not.
Mr Humphries: Where was this?
MR STEVENSON: It was on at 1 o'clock one Saturday or one Sunday morning. They were using their guitars to cover up their private parts for most of the time. It may sound funny, I must admit, but it is an indication of how far we have gone in what is called the rock culture.
Mr Kaine: You tune into some strange programs, Dennis.
MR STEVENSON: Well, once again, I think you understand that unless you are prepared to look at things you are not going to find out what is happening; that can be the only reason why anyone would ever vote to promote porn videos.
Mr Kaine: That is why you need X-rated videos, I presume.
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