Educators: Why is the education system not keeping up with the pace of social change?

Question

I am a middle school teacher and it seems to me that schools are not keeping up with social changes. Why do we consistently avoid talking about subjects such as sex and drugs? Yes they are controversial...Yes they may cause a bit of anger. With the parts they play in the lives of young people today, why do we shy from our chance to promote change? If we don't teach them about the world, who will? Parents sure aren't anymore.

Answer 1

Teachers hands are tied, I agree. Nothing will change until the people in administration spend a little time in the actual classrooms and hallways. The administrators in one district I worked for avoided the high school like the plague. I personally invited the principal to my classroom 6 times my last year there to see the projects the kids had made. He never came. The upper administrators have no clue and no inclination to find out about the issues their students confront on a daily basis. They will, however, frequent the elementary schools. It's safer.

Answer 2

Teachers are there to educate, not to be social workers. I think the bigger problem is the education system failing to keep up with technological change. Most teachers don't have any idea the damage that can be done with a computer or any of a student's innumerable electronic gadgets.

Answer 3

1. Because it's not in the government-designed curriculum that we are hired to implement.

2. Because some parents (those same parents who finance the education system through their tax dollars) don't want their children to learn about those things at school. For some parents, they would prefer to teach their kids about these issues at home. Other parents would prefer their children not be exposed to these issues. Regardless, it comes down to the parents' choice.

Answer 4

i get what you mean