Time To Smarten Up About Grade School Politicking
Posted: Saturday, September 03, 2011
by Gerry Charbonneau
http://nibblednews.typepad.com
" Remember in elementary school you were told that in case of fire you have to line up quietly in a single file from smallest to tallest? What is the logic in that? What, do tall people burn slower?" — Warren Hutcherson
It is that time of the year when somewhat cranky and sleepy parents wake up their even sleepier children, get them ready for school , drop them off at the front door, drive away and expect the youngsters to do well and not create a social incident for the next eight hours of their day.
Sometimes well meaning, insecure parents and overly enthusiastic teachers in the educational system need to step back for a few moments from their immediate concerns, take an institutional deep breath and then try to get a realistic handle on the overall goal of education in our children's lives.
I live directly across from a grade school which includes grades K to six and see the same scenario every day. It's amazing that the children don't revolt out of frustration and stage a sit in to publicly protest the absurdity of it all.
The 75 lb Field pack
The kids from the youngest to the oldest are all transporting very large and bulky school packs on their back. As they walk to the school or are dropped off by their parents at the front door of the building they all exhibit a visible curvature of the spine. Their gait is slow and strained.... their steps unsure. You wonder what they are carrying in those brightly colored back packs.
Bring Your Own Toilet Paper- Kleenex
Again many penny pinching school boards are requesting that students bring their own Kleenex and toilet paper supplies to school. Again the supplies will be placed in a janitorial supply closet and used throughout the semester. Cutting costs and involving parents more in their child's education might be the rationale prompting this proactive and innovative plan.
Forty Pencils Per Student
Many school boards due to financial cutbacks have asked parents to purchase at least 40 HB pencils for their children to use while at school. The arbitrary number ensures that the children will have a pencil to use for their work. However many parents report that the pencils will be placed in a classrom locker and shared with other students. This situation does not sit well with many of them.
Drop Out And Home School
These innovative demands are inspiring many parents to consider home schooling for their children. The computerized global village we now live in makes home schooling an attractive alternative to the traditional learning model.
At home computerized learning systems educate and provide learning opportunities for many adults. Many parents feel that that the demands of havng their children attend a real world facility could make the learning experience a lot less intimidating in a virtual classroom.
Five Gig Memory Stick For Kindergarten
We live in an electronic age and computers are a major part of our everyday lives. Laptop computers and add on memory cards and external hard drives make everyone's lives simpler and more productive. But seriously does a kindergarten pupil really need to bring a five gigabyte memory stick to class to keep up with the other students? Many parents question the validity and the sanity of such a demand.
Laptops For Grade One Students
School boards are feeling the economic crunch of our current economic situation. They realize that their stuednts need exposure to computers so that they can function properly and efficiently in our fast paced society. Parents again question the sanity of supplying their grade one students with a laptop computer so that they can compete in today's world.
Temporary Solution To The Insanity
As your children once again return to the classroom there are a number of short term fixes you as parents can do to ensure your youngsters get a good start to their day:
- Get their eyes examined by a professional.
- Feed them a healthy breakfast every day.
- Buy them decent clothing for school.
- Give them a hug before and after school.
- Tell them you love them everyday.
- Take an active part in P.T.A. meetings.
- Hope that sanity will return soon to the world.
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