- THE APOTHEOSIS OF THE CHILD
- IT'S NOT IN THE SCHOOLS
- CHILDREN AS CHILDREN: NURTURING FOR EVERY AGE
- FALLACY OF PROJECTED PRINCIPLES
- LONGER DAYS, LONGER YEARS: TIME IN SCHOOL, NOT ON-THE-JOB MARKET
- JOBS FOR KIDS: AN AMERICAN DELUSION
- WORK AND ACCOMPLISHMENT
- OPEN CAMPUS: EMPTY MINDS?
- TV: THE MONSTER WHO MOVED IN FOR GOOD
- THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF A CAPSTONE EXAM
- TO PAY OR NOT TO PAY
- RESPONSIBILITY AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MATRIX
- COMPASSION DEGENERATING INTO COMPASSIONISM
- "THE LIVES AND THE DEADS"
- SCHOOL UNIFORMS
- STUDENTS HELPING EACH OTHER
Schools are the designated vehicles through which the society arranges to perpetuate, and hopefully improve, itself. The schools are expected to provide a continuous flow of citizens prepared with the knowledge, skills and values regarded as necessary and desirable. When education reform is deemed important, society looks to the schools to provide it.
Unfortunately, schools are no more eager for education reform than are police departments for police reform. Since reform requires fundamental change, not just mere tweaking, the potential pain engendered by reform makes self-reform unlikely.
Theoretically, parents might be looked upon as likely spearheads for education reform, and there are indeed a fair number who throw themselves into the fray, but the majority doesn’t.
The reasons are many, and not hard to understand. The most basic is that most parents are usually satisfied with the education their children receive. The parents are likely to have received a highly similar education, one tailored to American culture, and see no need for fundamental change.
Many parents don’t want to rock the boat, fearing that outspokenness on their part could bring retribution upon their children, either from the schools themselves or from the satisfied majority. Some parents are in awe of any governmental authority, while others have never learned the job of parenting and/or just don’t care. In the current economy there are many parents who do care but who are enmeshed in long, involved work schedules that preclude them from getting involved in education reform.
The impetus for education reform will come first from dedicated parents who can recognize what the problems are and are willing to take steps to deal with them.
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