Priceless Children and other futures for the tiny creature

A Land Without Children:  

 Why Won't Germans Have More Babies?

(DER SPIEGEL) For years, administrations in Berlin have tried to encourage Germans to have more children. Indeed, the Merkel administration has been particularly active on this issue: It has instituted parental leave benefits and guaranteed young children the legal right to a place in a daycare center beginning in August 2013.

To date, the benefits paid to Germans on parental leave -- known in Germany as "Elterngeld" (literally "parents' money") -- have cost the government almost €15 billion ($21 billion). But no matter how much money the state throws at the problem, it won't go away.

DER SPIEGEL

The Birth Rate in Germany

DER SPIEGEL

Parental Leave Benefirts in Germany

A Solution That Has Failed

Last week, Germany's Federal Statistical Office determined that the country has the smallest percentage of children of all European countries. Over the last decade, the number of Germans under the age of 18 has declined by 2.1 million (16.5 percent in 2010). Roderich Egeler, the organization's president, warns: "This downward trend will continue."

Children are often made to feel unwelcome in restaurants

Are the British intolerant of children -BBC

The old fashioned view that children should be seen and not heard is still alive and well in the UK according to new research.

The National Family and Parenting Institute says Britain has one of the worst records in Europe for being "family unfriendly". Parents believe restaurants make them feel unwelcome, and people running public transport do little to help.

The report also highlights big differences between Britain and the rest of Europe in terms of maternity leave pay, leave for fathers, working hours and childcare.

Do you think the UK needs to become a more family-friendly nation? What are attitudes towards children like in your country? 

Send us your views and experiences. (find other 6 there)

•  I have no problem with children who are well behaved and polite, as most people will agree. It's the spoilt little brats who stamp and scream when they don't get their way that most of us cannot stand. Well done to the parents who manage to keep their children under control. It is hard, but isn't that what parenting is all about? Anne, London, UK
• I am astonished by some of the comments on this page. Yes Britain is generally inflexible for families both at work and leisure compared to France where we live now. Children are more accepted socially in restaurants/ bars etc and they are no better or worse behaved over here. But I never imagined that there was such a blatant anti-child portion of the adult population in Britain. Take Nick Hardy or Anon's (chicken) comments for example. I am therefore convinced that Britain will in fifty years time be a nation of old childless whingers.   Tim, France

The great divide inequalites and 99 %

The great divide

UK income inequality is among the highest in the developed world and evidence shows that this is bad for almost everyone. 

Over the past 30 years, income inequality in the UK has grown at an alarming rate. 

This infographic shows the extent of this inequality, and how most people would be better off today if we lived in a more equal society.  Please use the options to the right to share this with others. 

The Equality Trust works to reduce income inequality in order to improve the quality of life in the UK.

Nothing new. In December 2011, it was written 

 how do different countries compare?

Inequality across the world is rising fast, says a new report out from the OECD which shows it getting worse.

Simon Garfield describes his favorite map of London. (from =50 to 01:24)

Simon Garfield explores the weird and wonderful world of cartography

Visual du Jour on inequalities at www.globalsociology.com
Class warfare Winners and Losers
This situation was accomplished through policy over decades, Structure / History / Power, people, never forget the SHiP!

Inequality Is a Choice  By JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ (NYTimes)

Of the advanced economies, America has some of the worst disparities in incomes and opportunities, with devastating macroeconomic consequences. The gross domestic product of the United States has more than quadrupled in the last 40 years and nearly doubled in the last 25, but as is now well known, the benefits have gone to the top — and increasingly to the very, very top.

• Last year, the top 1 percent of Americans took home 22 percent of the nation’s income; 
• the top 0.1 percent, 11 percent. 
• Ninety-five percent of all income gains since 2009 have gone to the top 1 percent. 

Recently released census figures show that median income in America hasn’t budged in almost a quarter-century. The typical American man makes less than he did 45 years ago (after adjusting for inflation); men who graduated from high school but don’t have four-year college degrees make almost 40 percent less than they did four decades ago.

American inequality began its upswing 30 years ago, along with tax decreases for the rich and the easing of regulations on the financial sector. That’s no coincidence. It has worsened as we have under-invested in our infrastructure, education and health care systems, and social safety nets. Rising inequality reinforces itself by corroding our political system and our democratic governance.

And Europe seems all too eager to follow America’s bad example.

English language vs Languages in England

The 2008 Annual Schools Census indicates that:

14.3% (466,420) of all Local Authority

maintained primary school children have  

a first language known to or believed to

be a language other than English.
10.6% (349,040) of all state-funded secondary 

school children have a first language known to or believed to be a language other than English.

www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000786/NationalTablesWeb.xls

Indicative data is also provided for regions of England:

42% of LA maintained primary pupils

and 35% of state-funded secondary
pupils in London are known or believed
to speak languages other than English
as their first language. The percentages
in inner London are 56% and 48%
respectively, and those in outer London
are 35% and 29%.
The percentages of pupils in West

Midlands whose first language is not
English are 17% at primary school
and 12% at secondary school, both
being higher than the average level in

England.

South West and North East have the 

lowest percentages of pupils whose first
language is not English. (South West:
3.7% at primary school and 2.6% at
secondary school; North East: 4.7% at
primary school and 3.0% at secondary

school.)

The percentages of pupils whose first language is not English in other regionsrange from 8% to 13% at primary schooland from 6% to 9% at secondary school.This spreadsheet also includes data by

local authority.

www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000786/LATablesWeb.xls