Well, Ain't I the chatty one today? Education of youth....or lack of it!?

Question

Who is to blame for the dismal shape our "graduates" are in? Education has been heading for the lowest common denominator since the mid 60's, and so far, it has not reached the gutter, but year by year, we keep approaching it...who is to blame? Parents who think their only responsibility is dumping their kids off at school? Teachers who are expected to be baby sitters? Kids who have been taught that they are accountable for NOTHING they do? School systems that fail NO ONE / Pass all who enter and attend unarmed? Who will accept the blame and turn this ugly situation around? Can it be turned around? I have my own thoughts, how about yours....

Elaine, I am not nearly as worried about people who apply for college as I am the average student who "graduates" from high school. And, please note your own answer..."from all over the planet" How many HS grads would qualify to enter any college at any level..that is the question...and it is a very real concern. We are churning out entire generations that few will have the ability to go any further than...hell, I have no idea where they can go other than to sell drugs...McDonalds can't hire them if they cannot make change.

How can we blame teachers who have their hands tied behind their backs by mommy and daddy standing by with a lawyer anytime junior gets in trouble? Teachers cannot even reprimand a student without danger from the system...why try if all you get is grief...now, where does the problem REALLY begin?

Answer 1

I'm not so sure that graduates are any worse off than in years past. They are different, for sure, but I'm not sure they're "worse."

Let me say up front, I'm a former educator and the father of a young man who finished 3rd in his class.

I've seen more than my share of kids with bad homes and seen them "fall through the cracks."

Definitely, PARENTS share the biggest responsibility or blame. They are the first and most significant influence on a child's life. They either teach them organization, or they don't.
They teach them pride in workmanship, or they don't. They teach them personal responsibility...or they don't.

I can't fault school systems all that much. Anyone who's a teacher or been one will tell you that there's a top 10-15% that will succeed in life no matter what. They are bright, they had caring, loving parents, and all you need to do is tell them their assignments and consider it done.

Then there's the middle 70-80%. They require constant guidance and "maintenance" to some degree. They need to be shown study skills and organization.

Then, there's the bottom 10-15%. These kids can't catch a break. They have bad home lives, bad role models, and just a "bad start" altogether. They are the ones who will work the McJobs, get in trouble, join gangs, abuse drugs, and do jail time.

I wish I could tell you that there's a magic solution to helping each and every one of them. I don't see it changing any time soon.

And for that, I do blame everyone; parents, school systems, municipal governments, legislators, etc.

Answer 2

Well Wings you have brought up an excellent issue. The education system started down the toilet when Christians set back on their butts and let Bible be taken out of the school system.... Last time I checked getting some help for children with learning disabilites was soposed to help them, not give them a free ticket to college. I know my answer may not be the most popular but I can atleast back it up with experience. My two sons , now 38 and 40, were passed on and on and when the oldest one graduated he could barely read or do basic math. In some ways I blame myself for not being more involved, it took two salaries and I did the best I could, or atleast I thought I did. They both needed more one on one help to really learn rather then just being stuck in the cornor and told to do the best they could. The "Every Baby Can" program (another way of passing the buck) has good ideas, but my two grand children with learning disabilities, cannot read, or spell, let alone count money and they are in high school.....passed on ...year after year , without really being taught. Believe it or not they have been told there are college programs for them....I just dont get it! In their case I say it is the school system. I am not saying they should be held back year after year, I say use some of the research money the govenment is so proud of to come up with a learning program that works for these kids. Equip them with real skills, you know ...the basic....reading, writing and math. Why fill their heads with all the college ideas that in the real world will not work for someone who cannot read above a 2nd grade level!

Answer 3

I think the problem first lies within the home before the children start school. Do parents sit down and read with their children or teach them to write their name before they enter kindergarten anymore? There are many how to workbooks (ex. numbers, colors, animals, etc.) one can buy at the drug store that can be used at home. Home should be where the head-start program begins.

Once in school, the teachers are too busy enforcing behavior problems and this time is taking away from teaching and is not fair to those who want to learn. I think we should get back to the big 3s, reading, writing and arithmetic. All other subjects can be included, but focus should be on these.

When we were in school the pace for learning was not as fast nor was there an information highway. Kids today have much more to learn and at a faster rate in a short amount of time. I see a lot more stress than when I went to school.

I'd put more pressure on the parents, who should put more pressure on the school administrators. Show our tax dollars at work. It can be turned around if people cared.

Answer 4

For starters parents, who fail to discipline and teach their children, what is needed to make it in this world. Bad parenting, seems to be an epidemic, and I don't anticipate a change, anytime soon. This trend, plays into the school system. How can a teacher, teach when he or she has to spend most of their time, reprimanding the students? If much of the day is spent disciplining, how is it possible to adequately educate the kids? I'll tell you, it isn't. That, and parents, who defend their children regardless, of what they do. For children, to not just make it through, parents and teachers have to work together, and let's not forget educators, who fail to leave their issues and politics, at home. This too, creates a major problem. The system itself, is flawed. Couple that with kids and far too many of them, who care much more about looking good and getting a date, and you can pretty much figure out, what the problem is. They talk about poor test scores well, for a child to test high, he has to be able to read, what's on the page. Furthermore, if a child, barely made it through high school how the hell, is he going to survive college? The system, needs an overhaul, and parents, need to take control, and start preparing their children. It's that, simple.

Answer 5

No Child Left Behind is a joke. As a blanket program, it is by far the most detrimental to individualized education. I thought I went to school with some losers. Kids today are clueless about everything in the world. Their parents are those fools I went to school with, and they reproduced. (shaking head)

There is no accountability like you said. I was somewhat privileged growing up, I didn't forsake anything though. What has happened to education since then?

When and If I ever have children, they will attend Montessori schools. And I will be involved.

Answer 6

I have my ideas about what you've brought up as well, but I thought instead of rehashing all that I'd mention something different:

My children have grown up over the last twenty or so years. They've always been nice, well behaved, kids who have been a delight for me to have and whom other people always seemed to like. They're strong, decent, sweet-hearted, young people - and they have friends who aren't all that different from them for the most part. One has already graduated. One's finished three years of college.

These folks are thoughtful, generous, decent, people who are close to their siblings and family. They have plans to build financial stability, follow dreams, etc.

Maybe people like my children and their friends and some other young people I've seen have grown up to be the way they are in spite of how our culture has been, but they do exist.

There are still parents who supplement their children's education, teach them right from wrong, manage to raise kids who are decent and kind and emotionally well adjusted, and who put far more effort and time into their children than would ever seem possible.

Its just that the negative, bad-apple types do get the press and do manage to make things rotten for everyone.

Answer 7

My oldest grandson is one of those that were passed along a grade when he didn't earn it, just so that the teacher and school could say they were meeting the government's expectations.

My grandson was given an A in math, when he doesn't (even now) know the times table. He can't add a column of more than two numbers, let alone multiply and divide well. For the second year in a row, the work he has brought home out of his desk is marked as failures in all his math quizzes, and yet his mark on all three of his report cards are As or Bs. When questioned about it, his teachers say that he REALLY DID earn those marks!

If you try to run a business like this the government, as they arrest you for fraud, would refer to this method of accounting as "cooking the books".

I wanted to take my grandson out of the public system last year when he came home after being passed on so erroneously to grade 6 without earning it. I listened to his mother instead, and believed his principal when he said that they would "do better" for him this year. Well, they didn't. My grandson is being passed on to grade 7 now, when he can barely read, can not do math, and his idea of completing ANY report is to hand in one page that has the question written out in full twice, the second time with an extra word or two added on as his answer--doesn't matter whether what he has written makes sense or not.

I am in the process of talking my daughter (his mother) around to letting me home school him. I think I just might win this time...I certainly hope so, because I want my grandson to grow up literate. Right now he is of the attitude that he doesn't need to be able to read, or write legibly, because all the teacher requires is that he "tries his best", which to him means "tries not at all".

Who do I blame? The educational system IS rotten. There should be no expectations of quotas made and met. Students are too individual for that approach. Yes, there should be course material for each grade, and if the student doesn't HONESTLY learn that material, then he should be failed!

But I also blame the parents. They DO need to take the time to teach their children every night as well, as reinforcement of what the kids learned at school. I managed to do it when my two daughters were young, even though I worked every day. Your children deserve your time. And if you can't afford to give them that time because you're too tired from working, then maybe you need to lower the level of your lifestyle to a point where you CAN give them the time they deserve.

What is more important--giving your kids all the latest "toys" and designer gear, or giving them your time and using YOUR teaching skills to help them make it through their schooling literate and genuinely PASSING each grade?

Answer 8

No child left behind is a joke.
I know lots of teachers etc. and they all agree on the above statement. Their hands are tied, under paid, over worked, and stressed to the limit-have to deal with kids who go beyond being rude each day.
Parents are the base cause but humans,as a group, are to blame too. Take a look at who goes to jail (& why) and who should but doesn't. We have all learned by example and some of the examples out there right now are horrid.
While I totally agree with you, I think there is more to it all-even for when we were growing up.
Hate to thing what type of human will survive, the natural disasters/wars/etc. in the next few years, to carry on the human race.

Answer 9

parents now adays just pawn off kids on school,sitter,where ever, and honestly i dont know why they even waste money on homes big enough for the kids to live in because they just dont seem to worry or care. they care more about having someone else lined up to take care of the kid then they do about being there and helping their own child through life. not all parents but i do blame poor attitudes about life in general on the parents. failure in school also comes from failure of a parent. kids feel useless and figure whats the point of trying if their own parent cant even give them the time of day.always be there for your kids no matter what. if they need to be straightened out then do so,just show you are proud when they do good.

Answer 10

well...
i was one of those kids that was passed through each grade because they didn't want me back the next year.
it was through no fault but my own. sure i had some serious anger issues but that is no excuse.
i now teach my kids along with my wife that it is NOT o.k. to sit around and do nothing just because you know you will get away with it.
i wish there had been a rule in place like there is now that if you don't do the work you don't pass.
we as parents must take a stand and demand more of ourselves, our children, and more of the system.
the teachers are under paid and grossly out numbered.
( the good ones are under paid)
we need to let the teachers know we are watching and getting involved. in short that we care and we want more for and from our kids.
i don't know if this was just a rant or if i answered your question in anyway. i do have more thoughts but i'll let this do for now.
thank you.