December 6, 2019
How can we get education back on track?
Our education system is completely skewed. Teachers are forced to "teach to test" instead of teaching for children to learn. Many kids don't know basic life skills like how to balance a checkbook (yes, I know a little dated), change a tire, apply for a loan, save money, etc. and the list goes on.
I'm not sure what the solution is, but something needs to be done. Private schools seem to care more about teaching to learn (just my observation; no first hand experience). We have many good teachers out there who are leaving the profession in droves because they lose control of their classroom because they have no help from administration or parents. It is a broken system that needs to be fixed, but it will not happen overnight.
Kids nowadays are glued to their phones/tablets and have not learned simple communication skills. They don't know how to read body language. Small kids are given electronic devices to act as babysitters instead of letting experience boredom so they can be forced to be creative. Preschoolers are expected to learn to read when this was not even done until first grade when I was in school. Kids' brains have not changed. Preschoolers and Kindergarteners need to learn by action and play. NOT by being made to sit still for long periods and learn reading skills.
It all starts with one step. What is that step? Like I said, it won't happen overnight. We didn't get to this point in a day. It was a slow, steady process, but where or how did it start?
I know Madeline O'Hara was the one who rallied to get prayer taken out of schools, therefore removing God as well. I personally think that's where everything began. ONE person was offended and we allowed her to step forward and make a decision for all schools even though many did not agree with her.
Back when I was in school, if a child misbehaved, the child's parent was called and the child subsequently punished at home. Sometimes, the child was punished at school. Children had a healthy fear of adults and not wanting to get into trouble. They especially didn't want to get into more trouble when they got home. Parents were more involved in their child's life. Now many parents do not care at all what happens to their child at school. They are just glad for their child to go to school to get out of their hair. When the school does happen to call the parent, the parent tends to blame the school or the teacher for the child's misbehavior. This is most often not the case at all. Teachers are not given the respect they should be given. I do understand there are exceptions to this rule, but for the most part teachers are completely run over by students, parents and sometimes, administration and it's very sad to me to see this.
Over the last 30-40 years the proverbial "envelope" has been pushed and pushed a little bit at a time to we are where we are now. Things that were never allowed on television in the 1970s are common and prevalent on television now. Examples: cursing, sex, same sex relationships, etc.
