AIBU to expect that British Aid money should be spent in the right places.

Hi Gillybob, I have to disagree with your view on children in China. My son is a teacher in China and has been for a few years and he would tell you how pampered the majority of the children are there. They are respectful, well behaved and very well educated. They still have the one child policy and even the children from poor families are well looked after and cared for. I think it is very easy to misjudge countries like this and though I do not agree with many things in China I do not think they get this all wrong. I have to say this is from the perspective that we have seen and first hand knowledge and if other people have been to China and do not agree, fair enough. My DH has just returned and his view hasn't changed.

This is a discussion we had a few months ago, Gillybob. Some Gransnetters are opposed to ending or reducing aid to India, whilst others want it stopped now, rationalising that spending on the space industry demonstrates they no longer need our support.

One thing for certain is that there will be money and greed behind it all. Apparently the families put their children into the "home" with promises of care and education. Neither of which the poor children received.

India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, it has its own space program for goodness sake. Obviously India's priorities are extremely warped and the prestige of a space program comes before the health, welfare and safety of the poorest children.

I'm not clear about this story, which is reported by several different international media organisations. It seems the Rajahstan Commission for Child Protection was tipped off about this and another illegal house, and they acted to remove the children, who were supposed to be receiving their education there. A child had died. One man had set these houses up, claiming to provide accommodation, supervision and education for children. Locals had became concerned and reported their concerns to the authorities. The children had arrived there from different regions. The man was apprehended and is to be prosecuted.

India's child protection network is still being developed. They don't have Childline for children to seek help for themselves, but now education is mandatory for every child fom the age of six, although in rural areas the schools are thin on the ground, so some children are being sent away to be educated. These private arrangements should be overseen, but I coudn't see whether an inspection system is in place.

Inda is developing rapidly, and building infrastructure to provide massive employment, with international support. It's still a third world country to a large extent. I wouldn't want to judge how international aid is used, based on this incident if a criminal who has exploited these children. Thank goodness they have been moved to safety.

As I don't have children I often feel it is out of place for me to comment on threads about children, however, in this case I have to agree with gillybob. I have always said I don't have a maternal bone in my body, but I can't stand by and watch a child suffering. I have always thought that it is built into our DNA to protect our young, which makes the lack of care for these children even more appalling.

So much of overseas aid is wasted at best and misappropriated at worst. There should be people who oversee the use of the money rather than just hand it over to the governments of various countries, hoping they will use it for the purpose it was intended.