Posted by
MC on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 3:50:34 PM
The reason why the US is behind every other industrized country in education is due to the fact that there is no more accountability for our children and their education. Parents, in general, nowadays think that their child is the best thing since sliced bread. Don't get me wrong, I believe that both of my children are gifts from God, but if they are in school and act up, they will have to deal with their teacher and me!! Parents do not instill an element of fear in their children anymore, they want to be their best friend. And when the child does something wrong, the parents are quick to blame someone or something other then the kid. If the child cannot perform certain tasks by a certain age, their automatically deemed "special" and are given drugs and special classes. When I grew up, there was a special class, and there were approx. 10 kids in the class (out of 500 students, and this was only 20 years ago) Now I witness it first hand with my wife being a Abbott district teacher in NJ. 3 years ago, there was 10 "special" kids in her class alone (out of 21 children). Some were disruptive due to their ADD, ADHD, or whatever else they may have, while others came in with a perscription list longer then a heart attack survivor.
I know it sounds like I have no heart, but I believe that education begins at home, with the parents spending time with their children (reading, writing, counting) My daughter is 25 months old, speaking in full sentences, say all of her ABC's, counting to 25 and memorizing and singing any song you play for her. Do we feel she's gifted...no...my wife and I spend our free time reading to her, singing and counting anything around. There is no glamour in the Day Care society anymore, most of todays youth are being raised by someone other then their parents. I have had more than 1 mother admit to me that their kids go to daycare because "they" don't think they can handle staying home with their child! I always want to respond to that"then why did you have a child?" but I keep my mouth shut. Mothers have told my wife that even if they are off for the day, they still send their kid to day care. Moms and Dads work nowadays not to just survive, but they both work so that they can afford the BMW's, 5 bedroom homes, fancy vacations, and fringe items. My wife has been at home for 2 years with our kids and we just get by, but thats okay with us because our children are the number 1 priority. If you're going to be a parent, take some accountability and raise your child, they're not a material item, they're the future of this country!!