Education reform: Recognizing Ditch diggers and Doctors

[jallman]

I don't like the attitude I see toward education today. Our school systems have adopted this feel good attitude that every child is a winner. Disruptive and unruly students who don't have an interest at all in academics are forced to sit through higher maths and sciences when their time could be better utilized learning a vocation that is going to keep their interest. Further, their disruptions are no more than a hindrance to the more academically inclined students.

I hold the belief that educations should be track based. By this I mean that there should be a divergence of career tracks for students, the first being at the 7th grade when students "track" in to either a vocational or an academic education. Let's face it, not every student is going to be a doctor; some are going to be ditch diggers. So let's teach those ditch diggers to dig the best damned ditches they can. Also, I think this preserves a student's self esteem much better by keeping them confined to an appropriate class structure. It must be very hurtful to be a future ditch digger stuck in a classroom with future doctors. Eliminate that issue altogether; keep ditch diggers together and keep doctors together. Everyone gets to be among equals.

At the ninth grade, further diversification should happen. Those vocational students who have shown aptitude or interest in special fields such as mechanics, carpentry, etc should be afforded more intensive study in their interest or aptitude. Academic students should be afforded a more specialized education based on their academic inclinations. Also, at this point, vocational students may attempt to track back into academic curricula and academics may attempt to prove aptitude in vocations.

I think also, to ensure that students are being fairly assessed and advocated for, their files should be permanent from the 1st day of their schooling. Further, involvement of the parents should be compulsory. When you have children, you make a minimum 18 year commitment to the welfare and success of that child. Teacher's in service days should be reserved for parent teacher conferences and should occur with every grading period. To go out on a limb, a student's behavior at school should be a reflection of the parenting they are receiving and teachers should have the same powers as a social worker to refer families for information seminars and parenting techniques classes.

Make school uniforms compulsory and part of the budget. Eliminate the social class issues by making all of the students' appearances...well...uniform. When students aren't worrying about what each other's shoes cost, they have a lot more time to worry about academics.

Physical education and competitive team sports participation should be compulsory. There is a direct correlation between healthy bodies and healthy minds. Further, there is no substitute for the lessons learned through team cooperation. It is a proven confidence builder.

With a few adjustments in our philosophy toward education, many of the problems with the public school system could be solved.

 

[Edify_Always_In_All_Ways]

I don't like the attitude I see toward education today. Our school systems have adopted this feel good attitude that every child is a winner. Disruptive and unruly students who don't have an interest at all in academics are forced to sit through higher maths and sciences when their time could be better utilized learning a vocation that is going to keep their interest. Further, their disruptions are no more than a hindrance to the more academically inclined students.

I hold the belief that educations should be track based. By this I mean that there should be a divergence of career tracks for students, the first being at the 7th grade when students "track" in to either a vocational or an academic education. Let's face it, not every student is going to be a doctor; some are going to be ditch diggers. So let's teach those ditch diggers to dig the best damned ditches they can. Also, I think this preserves a student's self esteem much better by keeping them confined to an appropriate class structure. It must be very hurtful to be a future ditch digger stuck in a classroom with future doctors. Eliminate that issue altogether; keep ditch diggers together and keep doctors together. Everyone gets to be among equals.

At the ninth grade, further diversification should happen. Those vocational students who have shown aptitude or interest in special fields such as mechanics, carpentry, etc should be afforded more intensive study in their interest or aptitude. Academic students should be afforded a more specialized education based on their academic inclinations. Also, at this point, vocational students may attempt to track back into academic curricula and academics may attempt to prove aptitude in vocations.

I think also, to ensure that students are being fairly assessed and advocated for, their files should be permanent from the 1st day of their schooling. Further, involvement of the parents should be compulsory. When you have children, you make a minimum 18 year commitment to the welfare and success of that child. Teacher's in service days should be reserved for parent teacher conferences and should occur with every grading period. To go out on a limb, a student's behavior at school should be a reflection of the parenting they are receiving and teachers should have the same powers as a social worker to refer families for information seminars and parenting techniques classes.

Make school uniforms compulsory and part of the budget. Eliminate the social class issues by making all of the students' appearances...well...uniform. When students aren't worrying about what each other's shoes cost, they have a lot more time to worry about academics.

Physical education and competitive team sports participation should be compulsory. There is a direct correlation between healthy bodies and healthy minds. Further, there is no substitute for the lessons learned through team cooperation. It is a proven confidence builder.

With a few adjustments in our philosophy toward education, many of the problems with the public school system could be solved.

The problem with this is that everyone is still obsessed with self-esteem. If the parents of a future ditch digger WANT them to be a doctor, someone's gonna get sued. Giving students a choice of tracks means that many will be pressured to stay with the doctors against all the signs of their vocational future.

I do agree with all of your ideas- except for school uniforms. As an actual student, I can tell you that noone in my school tallks about clothing or obsesses over shoes- sterotypes anyone? However, a school uniform would make many students angry who enjoy being responsible enough to dress themselves, rather then being told they are too unruly for t-shirts.

Personally, I think that statistics on child unrulyness on "casual day" are overhyped. I can't help but wonder if the surveys take into account that most of those days fall on Friday, by far the most excitable and least supervised (tired teachers) day of the week.

 

[jallman]

The problem with this is that everyone is still obsessed with self-esteem. If the parents of a future ditch digger WANT them to be a doctor, someone's gonna get sued. Giving students a choice of tracks means that many will be pressured to stay with the doctors against all the signs of their vocational future.

I do agree with all of your ideas- except for school uniforms. As an actual student, I can tell you that noone in my school tallks about clothing or obsesses over shoes- sterotypes anyone? However, a school uniform would make many students angry who enjoy being responsible enough to dress themselves, rather then being told they are too unruly for t-shirts.

Personally, I think that statistics on child unrulyness on "casual day" are overhyped. I can't help but wonder if the surveys take into account that most of those days fall on Friday, by far the most excitable and least supervised (tired teachers) day of the week.

Well let me make one thing clear: the students have a choice only in that they can either excel at one track or the other. Standardized testing takes that choice out of their and the parents' hands once the 7th grade is reached. They definitely should be afforded an opportunity to prove themselves in either track again, but if they don't measure up, that's just too bad. I am not cruel nor am I unsympathetic to the plight of the underachiever, I just think as a society we are falling behind the rest of the world and it's time to cull the herd.

I can concede the uniform issue, but I still think that it would reinforce the fact that school is just like a job. You excel and you go places. Part of excelling is doing things you don't want to do and doing it with no complaints.

 

[Edify_Always_In_All_Ways]

I can concede the uniform issue, but I still think that it would reinforce the fact that school is just like a job. You excel and you go places. Part of excelling is doing things you don't want to do and doing it with no complaints.

I think that while us children are enjoying the supposed "best" period of our lives, we should be able to have some fun, is all.

What is the point of childhood if you spend it working at a "job"?

Not that I am against schooling or anything, I just think it should be as enjoyable as possible.