Today, I read an interesting article about a middle school in Maine that will begin to dispense birth control pills to middle school kids in an attempt to control the increase in pregnancies (17 in one year).
It seems that over the last 20 years or so, schools have slowly been required by society to take on some of the roles that parents usually have. Take discipline for example. When I was in elementary school, I was more frightened about what my father would do to me if I misbehaved than what the administration would do to me. Parents disciplined their kids back then. Today parents defend kids against discipline by school authorities and often threaten to sue if any discipline is given- even when the kid did wrong and deserves the consequences. We have even stopped calling it punishment and have replaced the word with consequences or discipline.
Nutrition and food choices used to be policed by parents, who would ensure that their children ate breakfast and healthy foods. Today, schools have taken over by serving breakfasts, morning and afternoon snacks and even supper, along with a lunchtime meal. Classroom teachers have to teach children about food and obesity and exercise and hygiene because some parents fail to do so.
Home used to be a place where kids felt safe and protected and a place they wanted to be. Now, kids come to school an hour early and stay for hours afterword just to avoid being left home alone or in an abusive situation. Schools purchase metal detectors, security guards and pass card door opening systems in order to ensure that kids are safe in school. Teachers spend hours in training to learn how to identify abused, neglected, and dangerous children when we could be teaching instead. All of this happens because some parents don't pay attention to their children.
Now schools have become the place where kids learn about sex, birth control and parenting, again, because some parents are not doing their jobs.
I understand why some of my students call me mom and why some come to me with problems that parents should help them with. I also understand why some teachers decide not to have children or why some burn out and leave the profession. No where in my training to become a teacher did it say the I had to parent someone else's children, but I am. Most all educators do. We ties shoes, wipe noses, teach right from wrong, listen and help because we care. But this can't go on forever.
Where will this parent to school stransition stop and can this switch go on like this much longer?
4 comments:
For once, I somewhat agree with you. Since my first mature experiences in late elementary school with administration and the long arm of the office, I have been appalled at what schools think they can do. As I sat in the office in 7th grade, listening to the student handbook faculty and student council comittee, I listened to our former principal consider some rediculous rules that don't apply to education at all. There were rule ideas like outlawing flip-flop sandals. To me this is rediculous. Becuase something bothered a certain administrator and it could have been outlawed. In sixth grade, some of my classmates and I got harassment on our permanent records for a little arguement we had outside of school, but becuase they decided to talk to the counselor, we all got branded. Bushleague. Schools are overstepping boundaries and it needs to stop.
Murph out
I completely agree with Murphy, he said it well. I guess teachers are kinda like a 2nd family to some children...children who come from broken homes; sometimes teachers are the only ones kids can talk to.
OK Murphy, but who will then police what students do and howthey behave if parents won't? I understand the frustration at having to follow seemingly abstract and random rules, but what about the big issues like birth control, sex ed, and hygeine? Aren't those supposed to be taught by parents? What if parents don't or won't teach their children about those issues?
It is frustrating that parents allow their children to behave in ways that are distirbing and disruptive to others, and if the parents won't control the kids, who will?
You're right Mrs. Hansen, those subjects should be taught by parents, but nowadays it seems as if parents no longer teach their kids things, but let them linger in their own world. They should be taught because no one else should be responsible for it; of course now, kids want to be independent and learn themselves staying further away from their parents, but it should still be enforced. If they're not taught, then struggles will surely come upon them but eventually they'll learn the hard way I guess. It's great that teachers help to teach their students, but shouldn't have to-it's not their responsibility. By high school, or even junior high, students should be mature enough not to disrupt or be "disturbing." Although most of it is for fun, they're going to do it anyway.
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