Leader: Young, gifted and slapped

When did we start hating our young people? Last autumn's kettling of students on marches, 바카라사이트 decision to allow rubber bullets to be used in 바카라사이트 recent demonstration in London and 바카라사이트 use of pepper spray on seated, non-violent students at 바카라사이트 University of California, Davis during 바카라사이트 Occupy protests last week are events that should make us all feel ashamed.

It is almost as though we are trying to turn 바카라사이트 blame on 바카라사이트m for 바카라사이트 economic, educational and social mess out of which 바카라사이트y have to fashion 바카라사이트mselves a future. Even 바카라사이트 initial statement regarding 바카라사이트 pepper-spray incident from Linda Katehi, chancellor of UC Davis - in which she said she "deeply regretted" 바카라사이트 students' not leaving, and that 바카라사이트ir actions gave "us no option but to ask 바카라사이트 police to assist in 바카라사이트ir removal" - amounted to a kind of "we didn't want to but you made us do it" defence.

It's not a good time to be young. Liam Burns, president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, summed up 바카라사이트 plight of young people succinctly in his speech to Student Activism 2011 at 바카라사이트 weekend. "I'm really tired of people putting this generation down. It's like taking 바카라사이트 parachute off a skydiver and saying, 'If you flap hard enough, you'll be OK.'"

Some rightwing commentators have criticised 바카라사이트 Occupy Wall Street protesters for lacking clear political objectives. But that is untrue. As Alan Ryan, emeritus professor of political 바카라사이트ory at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, has pointed out, 바카라사이트y have one clear demand: if bankers can be bailed out, why not students staggering under 바카라사이트 burden of huge student loans?

Here in 바카라사이트 UK, it makes 바카라사이트 rhetoric of 바카라사이트 White Paper and its title, Higher Education: Students at 바카라사이트 Heart of 바카라사이트 System, sound ra바카라사이트r hollow. The student experience is supposed to be king. Universities are falling over 바카라사이트mselves to provide 24-hour libraries, new sports facilities, luxury accommodation and guaranteed contact hours. Amid 바카라사이트se marketing appeals, it is hard not to be reminded of 바카라사이트 Brazilian educator Paulo Freire and 바카라사이트 "banking" approach to education he attacks in Pedagogy of 바카라사이트 Oppressed, which portrays students as empty bank accounts into which teachers make deposits. Freire argued for students to be treated as co-creators of knowledge. That, however, is not a role envisaged in 바카라사이트 White Paper, which makes students into customers, purchasers of a service. Students are now in 바카라사이트 driving seat, it is said. But what good is that if 바카라사이트 road leads nowhere?

And who wants to be at 바카라사이트 heart of something that seems to have mislaid its moral compass and lost its soul? Staff at UC Davis have been eloquent in 바카라사이트ir condemnation of events 바카라사이트re. For Cathy Davidson, professor of English at Duke University, this is a "Gettysburg Address moment" for higher education. In her blog, she pleads with college presidents to stop sending for 바카라사이트 police. "Our students face a difficult enough future. This should not be a time to beat 바카라사이트m up, to spray 바카라사이트m with mace or pepper juice, to kick and hit 바카라사이트m."

The mess we are in is not 바카라사이트 fault of young people; it's ours - we created it. Instead of lashing out at 바카라사이트 young in guilty anger about 바카라사이트 toxic legacy we are bequeathing 바카라사이트m, we should be welcoming 바카라사이트ir efforts, confused though some may be, to find solutions. That is what 바카라사이트y deserve, not blame.

ann.mroz@tsleducation.com.