Thoughts on EDUCATION nowadays ???

this thread was started due to some comments made on another one in relation to the EDUCATION of the children in today's time....

the two comments that started it going are ..

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herm

Location: Marietta, GA
Yellow Belt Ninja
Posts: 134 Posted: Dec 07, 2002 - 07:55 AM
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btw, it's 'outside' not 'out side'... anyways

Heather, I am only saying this out of a genuine concern for your future. You REALLY need to work on your language skills. How you ever made it to 15 and still be at a 6 year old reading/writing level is criminal. Fortunately the problem can be easily rectified. First off you need a dictionary, don't use spell check because you won't learn anything that way. When you write something you need to check each word that you are not sure about for spelling. Another great way to learn is to read. Read something everyday, even if it's just for 15 minutes (not comic books).

I hope I did not upset you, because that is not my intention. You have your whole future ahead of you, and right now you are NOT ready for it. You'll be working at McDonald's for the rest of your life if you don't improve your English. It's up to YOU to make it happen. Your school system failed you, and so did your parents. But you need to not worry about that and fix the problem yourself. It's an easy problem to fix, YOU have to make it happen, and you need to start RIGHT NOW.
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I love my country; but, I fear my government.

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<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;I blame teachers and parents.&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt; As a parent with children in school now, I disagree with that statement. I don't think it is the parents or the teachers---it's the state in which you live. Nowadays, they are expecting so much more sooner then when we were in school. The things I learned in 3rd grade, they are learning in kindergarten. I have a daughter in pre-school right now, and they are teaching her spanish!!! All this puts so much stress on the children to do better, that I think it hurts in the long run. Unfortunately, there is not much I can do, but go with the flow. But let me tell you, my wife and I currently have 4 children in school. Each one has at LEAST one hour a night of homework, and that doesn't include projects. So, do the math.....don't forget to add in playtime, family time, dinner, baths, clean-up......it is very demanding. But, I wouldn't change it for the world.
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Please use this thread to place any relative comments on the subject matter. TYIA [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
I gots to run atm.. I'll add my .02 laters... LOL
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[najaboy]

It's a two part failure. Part of the blame lies with the education system. The bulk of the problem, though, can be attributed to poor parenting.

Of course, there is the random child who, even with good parenting and education, will still lag. As I said though, in most circumstances, bleame lies with touchy-feely parents who let their kids know that mediocrity is okay, and there's no need to excel.
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[Ed_r]

We are desperately trying to keep up with the rest of the world in Education. Unfortunately with everything being accelerated some get left behind. And the ones that are getting left behind get passed through just so they can end school on time. Plus schools now are focused on test scores and not so much on the rules an fundimentals of learning. Lets face it you can teach a circus monkey to ace a test. Social skills of children now are failing miserably.
In some instances though there is more to it than a failure of the education process. Unfortunately it comes from home. Most families have 2 working parents. Less structure for the kids. Parents nowadays are so lax with the kids, cuz they are all scared of being strict like their parents were. In allot of the households today the kids call the shots and the parents are just glad to get rid of them. Or on the flipside, the parents parents were strict, so the childs parents try to one up their own parents, to the point of possible getting abusive.

There is just no One right answer.
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[JuliusSqueezer]

It isn't fair to compare our schools to those in other countries...Other countries that are reporting much higher grade avgs usually are those countries who only allow kids making top scores remain in school....Many of them yank kids out that aren't pulling the grades and put them to work in sweat shops making baseball gloves and sneakers. I guess if we only allowed our little geniuses to attend school, we too would have higher test score avgs. Personally...I don't care what kids are doing in other countries...but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that we have room for improvment and we owe it to the kids to help them be all they can be...with or without the army's help [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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[Ed_r]

I didnt mean to comapre other countries. BUT in most other countries the kids are in school 11 months out of the year. they have more time to aquire the fundimentals. Our kids here are in school a little over 9 months a year. Thats a big difference too. But your right in other countries only the best continue to go to school the rest go into manual labor positions.
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[Constrictor_BO]

You cant fully blame the schools for whats going on now. Parents have let the schools fall to what they are. People need to stand up and make changes happen. These things wont change on thier own and most people are too busy and fail to take the time to care. School doesnt stop when the last class is over, it continues throughout the rest of the day. Parents need to take the time and effort to help thier kids excell in life by showing they care and assisting them when needed.
Schools are a lot different than way back when. Too many changes have been made in how the schools operate. I blame the government for the poor schools systems and we the people have to stand up and fight for what is right. Schools are only as good as the people let them be.
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[RevMojo]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE> don't forget to add in playtime, family time, dinner, baths, clean-up </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

Dont the forget the three hours of television a day kids watch....

In general, I'd say it's parents (and by extraction, society, which the parents make up) that is to blame.

As I mentioned above, there is the whole television issue. Whether it's the parents or the kids sitting on their ever-expanding backsides watching it, it does distract from education. Whether it's something as simple as a parent not writing a letter to their senator to encourage education reforms beacuse &quot;friends&quot; is on, or something as blatant as a child not doing their hmework because it's time for cartoons, our TV based society is chiefly responsible for the lack in education. And then there's the programming...too much trash, too few role-models, the sense that education is not necessary for success, etc. And dont get me started on EmptyV (MTV)

Teachers, for the most part, do everything they can. But until teachers start getting paid enough to make it a highly desirable job, we're not always going to get the best and brightest going into it. Sure, some have enough passion to do it anyway, but how many of you remember the &quot;eduction major&quot; sutdents from college. The expression &quot;Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach&quot; seems a little cliche, but until we as a society make teaching worth it, that will remain how it is. Frankly, all of our public servants deserve better pay, but that's a seperate rant. Then there are all the policy issues teachers get caught in, such as social advancement and results based funding.

So what's the answer? I dont know. For now, turn off the TV, and be sure to thank a teacher. Get involved. Education does not start and stop at the classroom door.
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[herp_chick]

I have to disagree with najaboy's statement about &quot;touchy-feely&quot; parents. I AM one. I hug my kids constantly, tell them I love them at least 5-6 times a day, tell them how proud I am of them, how smart they are, etc. My children go to private school, which is about one yr ahead of public schools in what they are learning. They too have an hour or so of homework most nights, but they know that I am there to help them if they don't understand something. They are A-B honor roll students, and have been since first grade. They play sports and have outside interests that take up their time, such as church activities and reacreational sports, as well as sports at school. Now, I am BY NO MEANS a super parent. They have had no contact with their father(by his choice) since they were 2 and a half and 6 mos old. They have good male role models in my Dad and my brother-in-law who have done things with them that a father should do. THE PROBLEM with children a lot of times is that their parents are not involved in their lives. I see at the recreational sports games(YMCA) that some parents don't even come to watch their children. The get no encouragement, no support, and no attention. The TV and videa games have become convenient &quot;babysitters&quot;. There are lots of kids I know who are just 13 or 14 who have no rules, no curfew, nothing. As long as they are not &quot;Bugging&quot; their parents, they can do whatever. If you do not build up your children's self-esteem as they are growing up, then they will have none, and be ready for whatever influence(drugs, drinking, etc) that makes them feel &quot;Special&quot;. It is my job as a parent to make sure my children know that they are special, they are loved and wanted and they can do anything with their lives that they want to do. That includes getting a good education. So don't blame the &quot;touchy-feely&quot; parents for the problems kids have. Blame the ones who never show affection, who never have an encouraging word, whose children feel that if their own parents don't love them, then they must not be very special. Kids with little to no self esteem are kids waiting for a hard life. I know.....I was one.
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[JuliusSqueezer]

HH...I think you took najas comment a little wrong. I KNOW what he is talking about and I don't think he was bashing people for hugging their kids...but there is an entire generation...maybe two of recent parents that are practicing passive parenting...My exsisterinlaw has two girls...They do not punish in anyway these girls...even to the point where they will not scold or even say no. It is their policy to &quot;distract&quot; them...if one is writng on the wall...give her a coloring book or say...&quot;look what's on tv darling&quot; I can't take it...I wont go over there LOL. It is the most rediculous thing I have ever wittnessed....and apparently someone is selling parenting books or videos or something because this is NOT something they designedm themselves.
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[herp_chick]

OOPS! Sorry if I mistook your comment, najaboy! My children do get punished, and they have to go by the rules. They are not allowed to do as they please. Children need rules AND punishment to learn proper ways to behave and fit into society. I was more or less talking about parents who give thier children no time or attention. They also need those things to be well-rounded people. So please accept my apology if I mistook what you meant. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img]
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<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>...They do not punish in anyway these girls...even to the point where they will not scold or even say no. It is their policy to &quot;distract&quot; them...if one is writng on the wall...give her a coloring book or say...&quot;look what's on tv darling&quot; I can't take it...I wont go over there LOL. It is the most rediculous thing I have ever wittnessed....and apparently someone is selling parenting books or videos or something because this is NOT something they designedm themselves. </BLOCKQUOTE&g