Does any of you living abroad see it aswell?

Show all answers

godlykepower

I am English born, but grew up in South Africa too......and when I got back here 7 years ago, I was shocked then, as I am now at the behaviour of some young groups. I dont know if South Africans are the best behaved bunch in the world, but we certainly have more manners & respect than the kids here....I could'nt agree more.

Barney B

South African children have much more respect than other children. Afrikaans speaking have the most respect

durbsk

Hi, I'm English and was brought up there but I now live in South Africa and intend bringing my kids up here. I understand what you're saying about kids in England but I think it's a bit of a generalised idea that you have. Most children are respectful but the disrespectful ones are more visible because of their behaviour - you probably wouldn't notice a group of kids behaving well.
That being said, the country has gradually changed for the worse and I think it's to do with parents not teaching their children how to behave properly - whether through lack of time, care, energy or something else, I don't know. Children in England also don't have a mass of choices in terms of outlets for their energy - the weather and lack of sports and leisure facilities count against them. They can too easily get bored and act up for attention and something to do - sad as that is, it's true.
I'm very happy to be bringing my children up in SA but I don't agree with the 'norm' here of whacking them as soon as they step out of line - in my opinion that just creates fear and the notion that violence is the answer to get what you want.
I do think that children should be taught to think for themselves and not just agree with/believe everything they're told but this needs to be channelled appropriately - there are things that are just right or wrong, polite or disrespectful.
Bringing up children is not easy no matter where you live, you just have to hope you do a good job and that they are intelligent and confident enough to behave the way you've taught them and the way they feel is right.

gunner2za

BANG......you hit the nail on the head......that is why I WILL bring my children up in the best country in the world......SOUTH AFRICA

Marrs Attack

im south african and lived in manchester for a few months.i was also shocked at the behaviour of the kids.i spoke to some english friends about it and they told me that there is a serious break down of dicipline.if you live in a road that has some rowdy kids living in it,forget about telling them off.-they will vandalise your car or throw your windows in.you can complain to the police but nothing much comes of that.i dont know if itÂ´s like that in the rest of britian but its definitaly anarchy in manchester.

Chucky

Have you noticed that afrikaans speaking kids are more behaved than english kids, boys that is!!!

Jonathan M

hi im a south african living in Greece and married to a greek. I have 2 sons one was born in sa and the othere here in greece. the kids here are very spoilt and cheeky and rude. as my husband lived in sa for a number of years he knows all about childrens behaviour there. so we are bringing up our boys to repesct elders and the usual stuff we were taught by our parents. and all the greeks complement us on our well behavioured and polite. greek-south african boys.
yes we south africans are the best.

Motti _Shish

Yeah! In alot of other countries the people are disrespectful and not so friendly and the kids are brought up so bad! No respect for their elders at all! South Africa has a reputation for being kind and friendly:)

DolphinLami

They have no respect whatsoever. I know it is just shocking! I'm in London and just think the children here are 'above-repair'. Its really a culture shock for South Africans coming here.

Bedmechanic

Speaking as an Englishman

As we are not allowed to physically chastise our children over here without the threat of court action it's no wonder they do what they want without fear of getting a good hiding!

We're at the mercy of the bleeding hearts with no allowance for being "cruel to be kind"

Malan

The discipline in Afrikaans schools is in my opinion better than in English schools. The discipline in my own school is good and the classes are dead-silent when the teacher speaks - especially from Grade 10 onwards. The top 20 Grade 12 performers on the academic front in the Western Cape each year are 80% Afrikaans-speaking. It seems to be that Afrikaners are harder workers... It's a wild guess, I know.

-One Love-

Ha, I see the same thing where I am...maybe because they come from a bunch of convicts! But seriously, we South Africans have MORE respect than these kids where I am! They're not my type to hang out with! Heck, here the girls are PAID to have babies! Nice morals! But like someone already said, afrikaans kids are more well-behaved than english kids! Well, I'm behaved too!=)

dream theatre

as above

Tia

I'm English and when I was young it was very different, I'm only 28!!!! I don't believe it is only South African children that are brought up well but do agree that there is a problem with the majority of children here.

I have spent alot of time abroad (Morocco and Spain mostly) and I often say that the children there behave how I was expected to behave as a child, not like the children here now.

Yes it does happen everywhere but it is getting worse here.
I have alot of family abroad and will hopefully be moving myself next year. When/if I have children I want to bring them up abroad not here, sad but true.

bluefreehi

I c what you are talking about as well

garry_sangster

i was born and raised in england and it was never like that before but onenow the country has gone to pot and this is the reason i moved aboard i now live in turkey and they have none of these problems

Diezel

I agree with you, and the main reason for this is what Bedmechanic has said.

lukas s

im also shocked by the lack of respect some kids have . but i have to admit the most polite and friendly people in the world are definately the austrailians and canadians DEFINATLY

johnnyhawkyns

You may be right if you compare the kids in London with the kids in Paarl or Brakpan wherever you come from.
This is also true if you compare kids from Cape Town Or Joeys to the kids in the country towns here.
I live in Fareham in Hampshire and never see what you are talking about but then I never see foreigners either except the odd idiot wearing a Bokkie rugby shirt to the supermarket.
My grandson goes to school in Cape Town and was attacked by another kid with a knife in the playground. Nothing was done to the kid but my daughter was told to take my grandson home for the day for his own safety. Needless to say he never went back and had to change schools.By the way I've never understood why immigrants all go to London, it is a right Sh1thole.You might as well be in JHB.

moodybluetwo

Speaking as a born and bred English girl with many South African and Zimbabwean friends who now Iive here I think it's swings and rondabouts. Sure there are bad kids here, who grow up with little respect for anyone or anything but their are plenty of good kids too, the bad just tends to stick in your mind more readily. I know a young South African guy and he is an arrogant, selfish, thoughtless, racist, misogynistic boor with few manners, a complete lack of respect for anyone whom he perceives to be beneath him, and a tendency to shamelessly use anyone who he thinks he can bully into doing things for him. His first instinct in any situation he can't control is to react with violent confrontation. Yet I know not all South Africans are like that.............don't tar all with the same brush, there are good and bad everywhere. I think you'll find it's a sign of the times rather than a cultural difference, when what kids do seems like a bad thing it probably means you are getting old............!!!

Tiger200

yeas i went to school here in australia and it is defently true coming from a south african school to an australian one was a huge culture shock !!!!

butterfly171184

personally i find that south african's..especially when they're over here in the UK..and especially lads.. are quite arrogant and rude. And this coming from me, a south african! I was born there, lived there most of my life, but prefer the english 100%. Everytime i come across south africans they either speak rudely in afrikaans about the people around them knowing that they (usually) can't be understood.

Emily Hobhouse

Yes, I've been shocked at the way the kids behave in this country. However, there are good things, too. Kids here are encouraged to think, which we weren't.
Believe me, South Africa is catching up. Went back last year and I listen to the way my brother battles with his children.

Alf Garnett 111

Without in any way disagreeing with what you say about some of the youngsters in London it is hardly a good comparison. You also seem to be out of touch with what is happening in your own Country with schools infested with drugs, numerous assaults and murders on schoolkids.consideration being given to Maternity Leave for school pupils,teachers giving up the ghost because classrooms are so unruly ,school vandalised and robbed etc etc. Perhaps you are thinking of your own upbringing in a different era but the new South Africa is a different kettle of fish.

PhD

For the bulk of the 20th century South Africa was a very respectful country in the sense that it was ruled by fear and a primitive racism enforced with mediaeval enthusiasm. People were detained without trial, and one was given to wonder about the glazing in police stations, as so many black detainees seemed to fall out of their windows!

Thankfully that era is finished. But it does cause me to reflect that there is such a thing as too much respect for order and deference and- perhaps- it would cause South Africans to reflect on that too?

David

I agree.

I'm 15, Afrikaans, now living in Australia.

My parents definitely raised/ are raising me well, when I look at the other kids here in Australia I see alot of disrespect and rudeness, girls getting pregnant at young ages and so on, I was always taught that I have to work for what I get, here they just expect it for nothing (and yes, the government gives them that). Personally, I think their motive for not bringing up their kids properly (the parents here) is the fact that they don't have an outlook on life, all they see is Australia, narrow-minded, they haven't seen anything, they just take all this for granted, and teach their children whatever.

I guess you can say my parents are overprotective, although I guess it doesn't matter, at least I'm not in the streets doing what these other kids are doing (and that gives me a future). Although I'm a bit shielded, they don't really let me get out much, do much, because they fear I'll get "involved" and "influenced". I still get punished, with a belt :

I think English South Africans are arrogant, I personally dislike them, I have never met any English South African that I can say I like, especially the English SA immigrants to Australia here.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: