Sel - I'll have a look at the other thread, not seen it yet.
I'm not complacent about the issues you raise. I remember being shocked by the assessment of a psychologist on the father of neglected children I was concerned about. He described the man as "feckless". The use of this word was a bit of a shock, from an excellent psychologist who I'd always found constructive and creative in his assessment and treatment of individuals. The assessment took place 20 years ago and I confess I've subsequently put folks into the 'feckless' category, not out loud you understand(!) but it helped me to cut through some of the agonising about what causes such a lack of motivation and whether it's possible to encourage change in people who are so resistant. The father I'm talking about had grown up with many advantages,but a sense of entitlement outweighed any motivation he had.
My own family history is similar to many others born in the 1940's. Grandparents who left school (if they went at all) at 11 to work in mills/pits/stately homes. Parents who left school at 14 to work in the mills but had good literacy and numeracy skills, and were encouraged by their own parents to work hard, go to night school, and escape manual work. My own parents did that, and their children were the first in our family to have the opportunity of going to university. My own children attended local schools, including comprehensive. They enjoyed school, and were never frightened of the teachers, thankfully. They and their friends are now in their late 20's, all working hard, many in professions, some entrepreneurs. I don't honestly believe fear is an incentive to learn or achieve. We need teachers who are carefully selected and trained, then supported to work creatively and inspire their pupils. Outside of school, children need to feel safe and loved in their families, and to have enough to eat, have good enough routines so they don't arrive at school late, or too tired to concentrate. The attacks on Sure Start, family support services, etc etc won't help those children, or wider society sadly.