Monday, June 06, 2005

Education Failure - And why are you surprised?

I've been writing for awhile on the problems in education. Unlike many who feel that the issue is not enough money for education or not enough good teachers, I have stated that the responsibility falls back to the families and that, in some subcultures, there is no family support for education.

Now The Detroit News has come out with a series of articles about how not enough children are graduating from high school. The News report states that the most cited reason for dropping out is that the students "did not like school."

Gee, I'd rather cruise on a yacht than work, so I'll drop out of work.

Gee, I'd rather go to Las Vegas than pay my taxes, so I won't pay my taxes.

Gee, I'd rather be an idiot instead of preparing for my future, so I'll be an idiot.

Somehow I don't feel all that sorry for those people who make stupid life decisions. After all, stupidity does have its own rewards. Too bad those who don't complete high school or get a GED by the time they turn 19 can't be drafted into the Iraqi army. They might like school better.

Well, okay, that's a little severe. Children are not really adept at making life decisions. The problem is that many parents abdicate their responsibility to the school system... and the school system does not have the tools at its disposal to change the attitudes of parents who do not value an education for their children. The solution always has been and always will be with the family. Sure, there are those exceptional and lucky children who succeed at school dispite the best efforts of their progenitors to discourage them. But that's not the rule.

And then there are those children who are just plain stupid....

You can find other articles in this blog under the heading of "Education Failure".

Also, these were part of a look into the year 2020: