According to research published by The Journal Of Management, today’s kids are lazy. By kids, the researchers mean Generation Y – which is pretty much anyone born after the mid-eighties.

It basically says that the new graduates who are entering the workforce believe they deserve jobs with big salaries, a fancy title and plenty of leisure time – without having to put in the hours. They want an easy pace and are likely to be unwilling to work overtime.

The study, done in the US, reports that Generation Y is made up of young people who have an unrealistic sense of entitlement. The director of British superstore Tesco, offered the following opinion yesterday, “growing numbers of school leavers have attitude problems and believes the world owes them a living”.

So what is to blame here? Maybe a lack of discipline coupled with the dumbing down of the education system.. so that these kids leave school, thinking that they’re geniuses, having never been put in their place – for fear of “hurting their feelings”.. So the reality that life is tough hits them like a ton of bricks. And then they’re put in the work force.. where they don’t fare too well, because they’re not used to being told what to do, nor were they taught normal etiquette – i.e. standing when someone of a higher position enters the room..

These kids don’t really stand much of a chance. AND they watch their MTV with things like Jersey Shore and The Hills, where these kids are rich and living in beautiful apartments – sure, they work, but they spend most of the day shopping or tanning. So it’s a bit of a shock when you have to go out into the real world and make yourself a budget that includes things like toilet paper and light bulbs.. And you’re living in a dirty little apartment that’s probably the size of Lauren from The Hills’ shoe closet. Real life isn’t a walk in the park for most of us.

AND remember having to dictate and write things down and take notes? Not now.. everything is computer written. You have a homework question? Stick it in Yahoo Answers and see what answers you get.

I’ll be the first to admit to being a bit sloppy when it came to dressing for work, and I’ve done my nails at my desk on a few occasions.. But when it came down to it, I’d put 150% into work.. If something went wrong, I’d lose sleep over it and give myself stomach aches.. I guess I’m more cut out for work like basket weaving – something not too stressful.

I read somewhere yesterday that they are advising teachers to learn “intimidating behaviour” with which to deal with difficult kids in school. They said something like, if you see a group of kids doing something naughty in the hallway, then walk up to them slowly – maybe like a bit of a gangster, staring them down so that they start to feel intimidated.

I don’t know. It seems like you can’t win. Working life is something that you have to “WORK” at. You have to WORK you way up, to EARN a better position and a higher salary. I know that not all kids are like the ones in this study.. and i sincerely hope that respect and a good work ethic aren’t completely lost in this new generation.

This news story, from the UK, describes the struggle of a headmaster, Kevin Harrison, who is determined to improve the manners of his students. One of the rules he reinstated is that pupils must stand when he enters the classroom. One defiant boy, Daniel Walton, refused to stand and was subsequently sent to an “isolation room”, and instead of staying in the isolation room, pushed past a teacher and found himself with a four-and-a-half day suspension.

A bit of a harsh punishment? I personally don’t think so. Mr. Harrison is new, so has to stick to his guns. If that means a four day suspension, then so be it.

The boy’s father, instead of reprimanding his son for breaking school rules, sided with him and said that the boy was completely justified in not standing because the new headmaster ”hasn’t been there long enough to earn my son’s respect so why should he stand up for him”. I’m sorry, Excuse Me Sir?! Headteachers and teachers should automatically have the students’ respect – especially when it comes to something like standing up when they enter the room.

The boy’s father went on to say that the new rules “have nothing to do with their education”. This is where I think he is completely wrong. It has EVERYTHING to do with their education. Even if you hate the head teacher because they are on a power-trip or they pick on you, you still have to stand when they enter the room – it’s just manners, they are your superior and as such, respect is automatic by virtue of their position and this head teacher has 24 years of experience behind him. It’s like being in the real world having a boss who makes your life miserable, you can tell them to **** off and quit, or you can deal with it – I mean, don’t stay there your whole life, working a job that makes you miserable is unhealthy. But in both cases, you are respecting the title of the person. And I admit, some people are extremely difficult to deal with, but as a child in school, you have to respect your teachers, and in later life you have to respect your boss. Or you will end up jobless, like this boy’s father. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in today’s Not So Great Britain… But that’s a whole new article!

The boy’s father said that he teaches his children that respect has to be earned. OK, fine.. So the headteacher has not earned the boy’s respect, but in turn, by acting like a delinquent is the boy earning the headteacher’s respect? I think not. He’s doing the complete opposite. This is exactly the kind of behaviour that leads to kids having no respect for themselves and showing no respect to others.

After reading this article, it really doesn’t come as a surprise that there are so many “problem” teenagers today. Education is not just about Shakespeare and science, it’s about learning social principles and how to be a successful and functional member of society.

When I was in high school I wanted to be a teacher, but after moving to a rougher part of England when I was 15 (leaving the good high school and Headmistress Robinson behind), I saw how my classmates were acting and how they had no respect for the person standing at the front of the room, and decided that it wasn’t for me. I read stories of teachers being afraid of their students, and not correcting them when they’ve done something wrong – be it a spelling mistake or getting into a fight. This is how this generation of young people is being taught - that they can get away with anything.

I sincerely hope that the school and school board side with the Mr. Harrison on this issue. The word “respect” has now become what gangs are fighting over and has lost all of it’s meaning. Respect is not what you get for being on the handle end of a knife, or being behind the trigger of a gun; nor does it come from being a yobbo or a hoodlum. Respect has to be learnt and earned or life will prove to be extremely difficult.

This story is developing, as the boy’s four-and-a-half day suspension ends tomorrow……