Quote:
Originally Posted by justjim
OP, I don’t put the blame on public schools for students failing to make the “grade” so to speak. I don’t blame the teachers either. In short, PARENTS is where I put 90% of the blame. Parents is where it starts and where it ends.
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I'd go further than that and put a large chunk of the blame on human nature. Learning stuff requires some self discipline. Education is primarily something that you do to yourself, not something that is done "to" you. To avoid being able to read or do math at the fourth grade level, for most, would require some serious resistance, regardless of the source of the "teaching". I knew plenty of kids growing up whose parents did all they could to get performance out of them, but with minimal success. Looked a lot like genes to me. Motivating humans to do other than what they want is tough stuff.
I'm thinking that a lot of tax money and teacher headaches could be saved if public schooling would be offered through third or fourth grade - long enough to learn to read - and then supply all the kiddies with free laptops and internet access to Khan Academy and such.
Guess other arrangements for "child care" might be required. Those demonstrating self motivation (maybe with a parental nudge?) could be helped along as needed, but those kids that just wanted to copy your homework (we all remember those) could find other uses for their time - rather than disrupting the efforts of those who have found motivation, whatever its source. (Not wanting to stay poor worked for me). Have spoken with several teachers who were pulling their hair out over their administrators failing to allow *any* classroom discipline. Babysitting ought to be on those that chose to bring them into the world - with no plan beyond that bringage. Actions (should) have consequences.
A very small percentage of what I've learned came from formal schooling. Most of "school" felt a lot like being in prison (watching that clock) at worst, or being babysat at best. Reading at a fourth grade level is a pretty low bar. Not pulling that off says a lot about the "student", to me. Mass, expensive babysitting can't be doing much for society. Guess such a change couldn't get done over night, but leaning that way in the thinking is what would seem to make some sense to me.