One of my biggest issues with the UK is the state of the American blame and claim culture that has ruined many of our once great institutions, one of them being our lack of being able to discipline our kids for bad behaviour and the knock on effect this has had in schools, teachers are so afraid of reprisals for the merest hint of a telling off, never mind clipping em round the ear or getting a slipper in front of the whole school like when i was at primary.

At least in Oz the kids wouldn't be kept inside for two weeks because the snowy playground is a "Health and safety" risk lol.

Australia has by far one of the most litigious societies much like the US. The blame culture is certainly alive and kicking as we tend to follow cultural leads from the states also.

Let us not forget that here in Australia we are about to censor our internet because its not "safe" in the same manner as China. We do not have adult 18 certifications for games to "protect" people.

Ultimately I think what you describe is a disease of western society as a whole to some degree or another sadly. The details may vary, but people do not want to take personal responsibility for themselves today in the main.

Is it ever!

Not just Australia, everywhere that there are people who basically have nothing better to do than to dream up regulations "for our own good".

The problem is that this is a ratchet effect - a dribble of new rules all the time, but no-one with the common sense and cojones to get rid of any, so the number just keeps rising.

No, they took down the sunshades over the playground in an area with UV levels of around 13 midday as they were 'dangerous', however then they banned playing on the equipment before school, after school and at lunchtime anyway.

Yeah, and don't get me started on the supplements. Herbs that I could buy back in Canada are restricted items here because we poor saps might not have a clue how to use them and damage ourselves...

Aren't these two different issues that are being tarred with the same brush? There is such a huge body of research into the use of punishment (particularly physical punishment) to force 'correct' behaviour and the long-term detriment to society that it causes. There are also plenty of reasons for bad behaviour in schools, one of the most important is the degradation of government spending in the education sector and the long term push for teachers to take on more and more responsibility. Yes, there has been a rise of litigation since the early 80s in Britain, but it is only one factor in a complex issue.

>>Aren't these two different issues that are being tarred with the same brush? There is such a huge body of research into the use of punishment (particularly physical punishment) to force 'correct' behaviour and the long-term detriment to society that it causes.<<

So the restrictions on use of punishments in schools that have been increasing over the last forty years have resulted in the better behaviour and reduction in teenage violence that we see now.

(I needed a good laugh this morning.)

Yes and so is the UK.

It's a Supernanny State.

I'm sorry but that's unasseptable!

Or stopped from playing on a school grass playing field because of health and safety issues

well that is one way to deliberately misread what I wrote. I cannot respond to what you said as it doesn't address the point I was making.

I didn't have a nanny in the UK and don't have one here.

I thought I had responded to your point in my quote from your post.

my nanny has been drinking to much and is in a state; is that the same?