AlbanWoods

Academisation is a corporate model that does not suit all educational establishments.

With 68% of secondary schools in the UK now employing academisation as a model and employing corporate business structures in the growing privatisation of schools, unforeseen snags are certainly appearing. For example, does this model align itself with the consideration of the actual development of young people and the impact upon the mental health of teaching practitioners?

Now arguably the government state that ‘academies drive high standards’ (BBC, 2021) which I am sure any parent worth their salt would expect of their child’s education, but with this one size fits all culture, it is difficult to see where individualism sits in current school structures adopting the academy model.

Each learner is an individual and should be treated as so, but in the embedding of autonomous and prescriptive curriculum it is difficult to see where the individual exists. Students with specific special educational needs, or those from low income families are forced to slot into a business model that has little to no time for individual nurturing and instead opts for herd development, by casting subject specific nets over a wide range of students with a wide range of individual needs.

Some educational professionals however, will see the freedom of implementing their own curriculum as creating opportunity for creativity in the learning. An extremely positive tool for fostering and nurturing passions.

Most certainly, when looked at from the perspective of a world draped in silver linings, this seems like a saving grace and gives students an opportunity to learn as they have never before. But in the cold daylight of reality, for disadvantaged educational institutions this is also an opportunity for a quick win, where teaching to the assessment drives up numbers and percentages and cloaks institutions in data driven glory. Arguably, the focus should not be on school structures but on improving the quality of teaching in schools.

In the sad case where this gets lost, we have to consider what is left when students make their final transition into the modern world. What skills are they left with when navigating the vicious seas of the occupational sphere? In order for this be successful, there needs to be a tighter focus on enabling young people to translate their learning to the world of work and higher education rather than simply giving them the skills to obtain a piece of paper.

When this occurs, students are arguably not being developed into well rounded human beings with the skills they need to prosper in their professional lives, another shortcoming created by the conservative government and their aims to compete with the growing success of neighbouring countries and their approaches to education. George Osborne in particular, ‘announced that all schools in England would have to convert to academy status by 2020, or at least be committed to converting by 2022’ (Access, 2021). And although this creates a stronger hold over financial output, what regulations are in place to monitor where money is going, and how this individualised approach to management impacts the classroom.

It is of my opinion that if academisation is the only route, then Ofsted frameworks although repeatedly adjusted as the landscape of education changes, needs to consider how they approach each academy. In essence they are measuring the impact of individual businesses now not schools.

BBC News. 2021. What does it mean to be an academy school? - BBC News. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-13274090. [Accessed 05 February 2021].

Access Group. 2021. What is academisation and why do schools do it? - Access Group. [ONLINE]
Available at:
https://www.theaccessgroup.com/education/resources/blog/what-is-academisation-and-why-do-schools-do-it/

There is no doubt that the intentions of political correctness is a force for good and promotes equality across varying factors of what it means to be part of a multi cultural society.

But is offence becoming a buzz word that limits the rights of people to opinions and individual interpretations?

You only have to be on Twitter for a matter of moments to see the political policing of someone’s comment about something. But, offence is a subjective concept. It belongs entirely to the individual and thus one persons political correctness may not align itself with another’s attitude towards the debate topic.

‘Offence is therefore not an apt guide to goodness;’ (Cohen, 2020) instead somebody else’s offence and outrage may provoke offence in others.

It is a carousel of morality with no definitive answer.

For example, the practical majority of any society hinges upon the fact that ‘most of us would rather not hear what the other side has to say’ (Schilling, 2015)

To further create complexity around the issue, cultural change over time periods create generational gaps when it comes to freedom of speech and political correctness. This makes society at times a political mine field for people who may simply be uneducated in a specific topic or cultural change.

Political correctness can go too far, but I think with the right approach, people can be educated into a deeper understanding where offence is concerned.

Palatinate. 2021. DEBATE: Has political correctness gone too far? – Palatinate. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.palatinate.org.uk/debate-has-political-correctness-gone-too-far/. [Accessed 30 January 2021].

the Guardian. 2021. Has politically correct culture gone too far? | 2015 in review | The Guardian. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/news/2015/dec/14/politically-correct-culture-millennials-generation. [Accessed 30 January 2021].

I completely agree with this statement.

Extra curricular education forms the bedrock for building passions for subject areas and develops self discipline in students that enable them to be better prepared for future studies in higher educational fields.

Additionally, ‘homework activities relate what is learned in school to children's lives outside of school’ (Atkinson, 2021) and thus contextualises their learning. Something that then solidifies their understanding and contributes to increased attainment rates. As a result, this enables students to develop further and achieve more.

Although value should be placed upon a consistent work and home life balance, one hour of homework in a specific subject area throughout a period of five years study, equates to an extra year in education in that particular focus area.

The benefits of producing home based work however does have its limits and a balance must be achieved for it to be effective. For example, students according to figures last year, students were committing to ‘two and half hours of homework a day’ (UCL, 2020) and this is rather excessive. Overworking contributes to disengagement and then the whole positive idea of encouraging students to develop their passions at home becomes redundant.

In order for homework to be a successful component for any educational curriculum there must be balance and considerations when it comes to deadlines. If these key pillars are met, homework most certainly is a positive part of any students educational diet.

Why Homework Is Important | Scholastic. 2021. Why Homework Is Important | Scholastic. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/homework-why-it-important/. [Accessed 30 January 2021].

UCL. 2021. Children doing 2.5 hours’ schoolwork a day on average | UCL News - UCL – University College London. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2020/jun/children-doing-25-hours-schoolwork-day-average. [Accessed 30 January 2021].

Although veganism has its benefits for the survival of our planet and it’s obvious impact upon the reduction of methane gas production and ammonia emissions, this unfortunately is not the answer. It is in fact, the handling of waste product and fertilizer that contributes most to dangerous greenhouse gases.

Instead of inciting worldwide herbivorous action, alternative ways of obtaining sustainable farming must be sought out first such as rotational systems, permanent pasture and conservation grazing.

It is however becoming all the more evident that more and more people are becoming acutely aware of the devastating impact that mass consumerism where dairy farming as an example is concerned, with 78 million of us worldwide adopting a vegetation or plant based diet last year alone (If you want to save the world, veganism isn’t the answer | Isabella Tree, 2021) but the issue does not rest with the animal but the practice and farming methods employed.

If producers, arguably not all, were to alter methods then this would ultimately reduce greenhouse gas production and meat and dairy products could be sustainably farmed.

Additionally, if we look at this from a hypothetical perspective, where no human being relies on meat product as part of their diet, the scales are equally tipped again. The rising demand for soya, maize and grain products again makes a devastating impact upon ecological systems and our ability to sustainably produce crops.

According to data, there is only 100 harvests remaining on UK soil (Wong, 2021) and sustainability does not rest upon the shoulders of meat production as the world itself faces the looming agricultural crises that has been sold us time and again, by WWF and other Environmental charities.

Plant based diets will not solve the problem in itself. Instead this produces a rising demand for crop production that requires high inputs of fertilizer, fungicides, pesticides and herbicides and instead we’re drawing out focus to and ‘demonising sustainable forms of livestock farming that can restore soils and biodiversity, and sequester carbon (Dairy | Industries | WWF, 2021).

The subtraction of grazing animals has a wider impact where conservation is concerned and again disrupts the ecological balance, (Cow Manure Vanishes, so do the insects, and so do the birds that feed upon them etc..) so without this essential link in the chain, other areas would simply diminish in number and thus create further disturbance.

A world wide ban on meat production or inciting plant based diets for everyone will only cause further problems for us to find solutions to.

We have made the problem and it is now our ethic duty to make that right.

the Guardian. 2021. If You Want To Save The World, Veganism Isn’T The Answer | Isabella Tree. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/25/veganism-intensively-farmed-meat-dairy-soya-maize [Accessed 25 January 2021].

Wong, J., 2021. The Idea That There Are Only 100 Harvests Left Is Just A Fantasy. [online] New Scientist. Available at: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24232291-100-the-idea-that-there-are-only-100-harvests-left-is-just-a-fantasy/ [Accessed 25 January 2021].

World Wildlife Fund. 2021. Dairy | Industries | WWF. [online] Available at: https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/dairy [Accessed 25 January 2021].

We all have them, the whole world at the fingertips and sitting in your pockets. Without this fine technological advancement, I am sure we would be lost and wondering what we are going to do with the extra time. Smartphones have made life less complicated and arguably made some elements of our lives that little more secure. Banking has become more accessible, coping with long lasting illness has become easier and perhaps they could even be the answer to loneliness but do the negatives outweigh the positives?

Smartphones in particular have been linked with increasing mental health issues and depression rates and its even been connected with various cancers. The surprising thing is that these findings were discovered during the nineties and have been suppressed until fairly recently.

Cellular phones give off non-ionising radiation which is not thought strong enough to break down chemical bonds like other ionising radiations such as nuclear power, x-rays, CT and MRI scans, which most certainly do cause cancer in high doses (Risk Factors: Radiation, 2021). Although I do not believe in animal testing in any form, the impact this has had upon rats for instance is all too conclusive. After being exposed for lengthy periods of time to non-ionising radiation found in cellular phones, the subjects were found to have developed tumours, most notably found around the heart (Schlanger, 2021).

But what does that mean for human beings?

Perhaps, with the amount of time that we spend endlessly scrolling through social media feeds and reading and watching content, it creates a rather concerning risk.

Although this is extreme, there are other ways that your smartphone is harming you and you don’t even know it.

Not only does the endless scrolling through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have a psychological effect upon us, it is making us blind.

Smartphones emit short wavelength blue light, which encourages us to strain the eyes and has been known to cause lasting damage to the corneas, thus affecting our ability to actually see the world around us ironically.

Moreover, the unhealthy relationship that we have with our pocket sized companions and the sheer speed in which we can connect to stimulus enables us to compare our lives to others much more readily, impacting upon confidence and depression and mood in some cases. When we see these readily available images of others we see the tip of the iceberg or the gliding swan, not actually seeing what is going on beneath the surface. We instead are encouraged to make snapshot inferences, draw comparisons and feel inferior.

Now arguably, not everyone feels this way, but it is more common than you might think (Tips for a Healthy and Safe Home, 2021). We could potentially argue that this is an inadvertent consequence of technological advancement but regardless of this, it is evident that the majority of mental health issues, especially the likes of depression and anxiety are implicitly linked to smart phone use, as more of us are getting less sleep.

Younger people between the ages of nineteen and twenty-nine, confess to spending an hour before sleep scrolling whilst lying in bed. From a biological perspective the short wavelength blue light aforementioned, halts our production of melatonin, the hormone needed to relax us before sleep. With less and less hours used to repair the body, it is affecting us both physically and mentally without us knowing it.

Additionally, it has the ability to make us lonely although we have the world at our fingertips, as we miss out on key experiences and physical interactions. The constant distraction has the potential to make us more reclusive and withdrawn and perhaps even distrusting of others. But, we continue as we are, we overlook the medical advice and we buy into it again and again.

Smartphones are dangerous, but is it worth the risk?

National Cancer Institute. 2021. Risk Factors: Radiation. [online] Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation#:~:text=Radiation%20of%20certain%20wavelengths%2C%20called,forms%20of%20high%2Denergy%20radiation. [Accessed 22 January 2021].

Schlanger, Z., 2021. We Now Have The First Clear Evidence Cell Phone Radiation Can Cause Cancer In Rats. [online] Quartz. Available at: https://qz.com/1241867/cell-phone-radiation-can-cause-cancer-in-rats-according-to-the-final-results-of-a-us-government-study/ [Accessed 22 January 2021].

OnHealth. 2021. Tips For A Healthy And Safe Home. [online] Available at: https://www.onhealth.com/content/1/healthy_safe_home [Accessed 22 January 2021].

As someone who works in mainstream education, I can empathise with the way that mainstream amalgamation would spread awareness and understanding regarding varying conditions. I admire your chief aims behind this though and awareness is certainly something that should become a priority in the education industry.

But this simply wouldn’t work. With education professionals overwhelmed with increasing class sizes, the specific educational needs of SEND students with severe needs would not be met. The average class size being 30 students, gives teachers roughly 2 minutes with each student without considering circulation priorities or teacher talk time.

In some cases, where schools have outstanding provision and support for specific students and extensive TA budgets it would certainly work. Some SEND Students with acute needs would arguably make progress but at the cost of not receiving the time or provisions that would maximise their learning outcomes or integration into mainstream school life. Most with acute specific needs would have to be educated in smaller groups, potentially defeating the object of amalgamation.

In addition, to be able to normalise the wide variety of equipment and support within mainstream education, schools and trusts would need larger budgets to provide the educational support appropriate, which in an unprecedented evolutionary landscape, (owing much to Covid transmission) the logistics do not add up. Arguably this wouldn’t be beneficial for either SEND students or wider school cohorts.

Personally, I feel impeachment is too light of a punishment.

Whether you approach politics from a Republican, Democratic or neither of these political perspectives, I think it is difficult for anybody to condone the actions of the former president and his orchestration of an attack on US democracy.

Mr Trump’s actions are not only egregious and impeachable, but are demonstrative of his self-obsession and his thirst for power. In a nation that prides itself upon the voice of the people, this is arguably one of the largest offences against the freedom of the American individual.

How can a former leader remain in office, in any capacity? When he so resolutely disregards the democratic process of his country in what can be arguably described as a temper tantrum. In doing so, he inadvertently has inspired supporters into televised violence and intimidation.

When called upon by the President Elect, Joe Biden, he still was
incapable of accepting the democratic process as ‘Mr Trump repeated his unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud’ as he half-heartedly called off protestors ‘- he did not apologise. Alternatively, he lashed out at his critics and cast himself as a victim’ (McKelvey, 2021).

Arguably, his actions should be considered an act of terrorism. In the Miriam-Webster dictionary, terrorism is defined as ‘the unlawful use or threat of violence especially against the state or the public as a politically motivated means of attack or coercion’ (Definition of TERRORISM, 2021), something that forms a plausible definition of Mr Trump’s most recent actions. It prompts the question of whether the criminality of his involvement would have been treated otherwise if he didn't hold office as the US president and instead was of either a different faith or country.

Therefore, I say impeachment is nowhere near enough punishment and instead, the American government should look to prosecute the man who has incited acts of terrorism against his own country.

Often children and older students are directed towards knowledge and skills based learning in an effort to bolster what is termed real life chances. So, in picking GCSE options students are most likely to be driven away from their own personal ambitions and aspirations. Often students are sold the solidity of qualifications in subjects like Informational Technology, Geography, Computer Science or Design and Technology. This is then reinforced by the persistent reminders of achieving high level outcomes in English, Maths and Science, which contributes to a higher Progress and Attainment 8 weighting than other subjects, as they hold a key significance in the measurement of school performance. So, ‘each qualification a child takes equates to a number of points’ (School performance measures explained - Staffordshire County Council, 2021) creating a hierarchy based on priority.

Admittedly, in subjects such as, Design and Technology there are opportunities for creative expression, but these become often limited to the skills required and the research coursework that dominates the weighting of the programme. English also has its corner of creativity regarding the answering of a narrative or descriptive question but is this truly enough to shape well rounded and expressive individual adults? And most alarmingly, is data and statistics taking precedent over the development of young people?

This data driven pressure not only impacts upon the mental health and wellbeing of students but also the professionals who are being required to teach to the assessment. This arguably does have some benefit, as it enables students to remain focused on specific outcomes, but with this absence of hinterland and creative strategies, teachers are forced to abandon creative learning opportunities and enforce learning strategies that do not foster the love of the learning. An aspiration, that they originally set out to achieve when studying to qualify as a classroom teacher.

Creativity in itself is multidisciplinary, encourages students to be inventive and enables students to better navigate problems through the use of initiative.

‘An integral part of the human condition involves learning who we are’ (The Significant Benefits of Creativity in The Classroom, 2021) and in two dimensional curriculum roll outs, this is a key aspect that is often papered over and unfortunately does not play a huge part in the education of young people. It is so important, in a world that often becomes dominated by narrowed views upon aspirations to become writers, musicians and painters, that we enable people to learn in a variety of ways. People who go on to discover themselves through music, writing and art often identify themselves by those words whether or not they earn a living by it. So where is the negative impact and why is it so
absent in what is arguably an outdated educational curriculum?

Adding elements of creativity to teaching curriculum and assessment for students would enable students to discover themselves through a wide medium of outlets, enabling them to become problem solvers and adept at navigating the technical processes between ideas and finished products.

It is now, that the education industry must identify the benefits of creativity and discover new ways in which this can be implemented into the day to day learning culture, to create expressive and critical thinkers.

Although Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe is now to be credited by Oxford University Press as Shakespeare's co-writer on three of the Bard's plays, conspiracy surrounds the two playwrights. The coincidences thus encourage us to think beyond the acceptance that William Shakespeare was the genius figure, never seen before and one of the most celebrated literary figures of all time.

However, the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of his colleague, Marlowe, in conjunction with Shakespeare’s initial publication, Venus and Adonis appearing only weeks after Marlowe’s death is food for thought.

Marlowe, certainly ‘had cause to fake his own death’ (2013, Bartels) which is aptly supported by ambiguities regarding the events that occurred and fragmentary witness reports. It is said and widely accepted the playwright fell victim to a stab wound above the right eye, which killed him instantly in a tavern brawl. A death that arguably reeks of Elizabethan dramatics and tragedy.

When examined from a chronological perspective, it is reasonable to argue that Marlowe was simply murdered for his inability to honour his debts and Shakespeare coincidentally made his breakthrough shortly after. But when looking at the benefits of Marlowe faking his own death and the connections between his own work with that of William Shakespeare the evidence simply doesn't add up.

This connection is bolstered by our understanding of Marlowe’s connections with Elizabeth I, some even deeming him to be a governmental spy entrenched in espionage. Reports such as this suggest that he did not adopt either of the religious warring factions of the period (Roman Catholicism or Protestantism.) It is comprehensively documented that (in claims ahead of his time) he was often found persuading ‘men to Atheism' (2013, Martin) in the public eye.

Due to the scandalous nature of his character, he was frequently the sufferer of a change of identity throughout his life, due to both his misdemeanors and to conceal his identity as a pawn of the crown. One such pseudonym he adopted during this time, was that of William Shakes-bere, non-too dissimilar to the Shakespeare whose authorship is universally accepted within the majority of educational circles.

It is certainly feasible then, due to a lack of evidence but for a pen name in London before Marlowe’s alleged death, that William Shakespeare was the product of a writer concealing their identity.
Additionally, one would expect a writer of such great testimonial value to British literary heritage to be documented in some way other than the signing of poems and plays. Thus, it becomes inconceivable to think that there is not any such mention of the man, but for what is available in print.

Robustly connecting the two, apart from coincidences of name is Shakespeare’s publication and content of his sonnets. Repeatedly these were representative of a man in exile and draped in anonymity due to a need to conceal identity. For example, Sonnet 68 from his collected works states, ‘The right of sepulchres, were shorn away, to live a second life on second head.’ (1821, Shakespeare) This concurrence subsequently is beyond any coincidental probability.

Marlowe’s persistent publication under various pseudonyms during his lifetime, and the textual similarities and significance between the texts, clearly define Shakespeare to represent a pseudonymous construct rather than an actual literary figure, in an attempt to conceal and communicate the inspired genius of authorship through another vessel.

Bartels, E., 2013. Christopher Marlowe In Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p.232.

Martin, M., 2013. Dr Faustus The B Text. London: Broadview Press, p.307.

Governmental decisions affect a widespread population from varying cultural and sociological backgrounds. This is made all the more complex when diversity is approached as a cohort rather than individuals. In too many cases we see a one size fits all culture in the development of nationwide policy, which is made all the more complex in keeping individuals happy and content with decisions existing predominantly outside of their control. These centralised decisions imposed upon them are often issued with little to no contextual understanding of the direct impacts that these actions have until they happen.

Dr Richard Armour formerly said that politics seemed to him to be “concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong” and now in a world that faces mounting frustrations at the hands of a ruthless and perpetually growing pandemic, governmental authority and its decisions are being questioned more and more.

Take, for example, the education industry. As a result of the indecisive nature of the education secretary and centralised governing, secondary and primary school establishments have been forced to ride a choppy of sea of changing policies and procedures, and last minute U-turns. This has repeatedly required the unnecessary chaos and increased pressure of providing stable and effective provision. Something arguably that would have been more effective from a localised standpoint. With the chaotic nature in which this has been handled as an example, a crisis point in education has been amplified.
According to an Education Watchdog, ‘65% of teachers have considered leaving the profession due to poor wellbeing’ and ‘over two-thirds (37%) have considered this in the last two years" (FE News, 2021). Too frequently decisions are being made with too little consideration for a diverse population and those who face the consequences seem to be primarily, educational professionals and the students in the care. The impetuous guidance on policies and alterations to new procedure outline rulings over teachers, have only forced them to dance all the more to an outdated tune in intolerable circumstances. Sprung from this, education becomes a barren and unsustainable pool of talent that side-step the opportunity to make an impact in the classroom. I think then it is fair to assume that if the closing of schools, the preparation of virtual learning platforms and provisions had been handled regionally, we would have seen more organisation driven by the contextual sphere of geographic location in response to rising cases and circumstances.

In addition to this, a further example of the benefits of regional authority can be found in the health sector. Here the debate arises out of a need to deliver universal access to health care services based on equality. With the NHS on the borders of becoming overwhelmed, there is certainly need for flexibility and adaptability based upon localised administration of health care services. But with limited budgets, and increasing demand we see struggles emerging as medical professionals clamber to provide the service they aspired to when joining the field.

According to Steven Dorrell, Senior advisor to the KMPG, ‘giving local authorities greater ownership of provision will help them redesign services […] to meet local demand’ (Dorrell, 2016). And thus, by issuing differentiated and localised care, what is at present an overwhelmed NHS would become arguably more stable and effective. This would enable medical professionals to respond more appropriately with a broader knowledge base of the contextual landscape of their localised region, and thus prioritise spending more appropriately. Medical care then must be closer to the people in order to meet its arising and increasing needs.

This argument has focused primarily upon two significant sectors within society, but conceding this, the landscape of politics is broad and expansive. Evidence certainly points to the benefits of regional empowerment on political spending and implementation across governmental services. Moreover, it seems all the more effective when looking at arguably two of the most crucial public services issued within the UK.

Channel, F., 2021. Close To Two Thirds Of Teachers Considering Leaving Profession Due To Poor Wellbeing. [online] FE News. Available at: https://www.fenews.co.uk/press-releases/58218-close-to-two-thirds-of-teachers-considering-leaving-profession-due-to-poor-wellbeing [Accessed 8 January 2021].

Dorrell, S., 2016. How To Achieve A Sustainable Health And Care Service.. [online] Localis. Available at: https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Local-Empowerment-FINAL.pdf [Accessed 8 January 2021].

Choosing death… a question of humanity, humility and most significantly dignity. In the face of terminal pain, you have to consider the rights as a human being to end a carousel of torture, but seemingly in most cultures the decision is being made by people who have little to no experience in what could be considered an elongated form of punishment.

The entire philosophy of medical health care, of course, is to prolong life and treat patients on a journey to wellness. But when the aspirations of medical science fall short of these tragic independent cases, then surely the decision rests with the individual. This of course should hinge upon the dependent themselves regarding the state of their mental capacity to make such a monumental decision.

‘As the average life expectancy has increased, so too have the rates of debilitating chronic illness – particularly coronary artery disease and cancers’ (Yach, 2014) and although the healthcare system with its broad range of medical facilities and approaches to medicine, continue to adapt to the evolutionary landscape of medicine and disease, debate now hinges upon what could be considered the kindest outcome.

With euthanasia having to be administered by health professionals, forming the antithesis of their role within our societies, criminal prosecution should not be a thought in the process. If there is underlying evidence that an individual is to beat the illness that consumes them, then yes, medical professions should certainly advise against it and provide the necessary support provision to make a patient most comfortable in their recovery. But in the tragic event of this being an impossibility, surely the route of assisted suicide is the kindest action. If for example, a dog or a cat, euthanasia is quite readily administered to end suffering and as a collective we perceive this as a representation of goodwill and symbolic of our affection not to allow suffering. Animal kingdom and human being debate aside, why do we see this as reprehensible and discreditable when considering the issue of a merciful option?

Yach D, Hawkes C, Linn Gould C, Hofman K. The global burden of chronic diseases: overcoming impediments to prevention and control. J Am Med Assoc. 2004;291(21):2616–2622. doi: 10.1001/jama.291.21.2616. doi:10.1001/jama.291.21.2616.