Shocking right? A small town school in the “football land” of Pennsylvania never prepared me for college.
I was taught the “traditional” courses at a high school that graduated 53 students per year on average. I was taught by teachers who did not care for the most part-- who were more focused on their paycheck than teaching me how to become an adult and do things that I needed to prepare me for college.
Where I come from, we have standardized tests; some of you may have taken or heard of the PSSAs. It is the test that the state grades schools on how they are teaching their students. Yes, somehow the school gets graded and they have not failed yet.
Has anyone stopped to think that "oh, the reason why they have not failed yet, is because they only teach us stuff pertinent to the tests?"
Well from my experiences, the above thought is correct. High schools in my area only care about the cash flow coming in. Thankfully, I attended school right at the curve of this ‘teach the test only’ phenomenon and I was still able to learn how to balance a checkbook and stitch my own clothing if I ripped them. That was a time when home economics actually was worth living.
Now at my high school, the classroom that was the home economics classroom is now one of three or four computer labs in the high school alone.
I see kids who graduated this past year from the same high school, and they agree with me that the schools only teach the tests and nothing more. My senior year we took the SATs, and the teacher had to break the state's rules and give us a quick lesson during the test in CURSIVE HANDWRITING-- something we learned in THIRD GRADE. We were told we did not need to know how to use it anymore and were encouraged to print neatly on all assignments.
This is what our future is, children who are not being taught basic life skills that I learned (I am 24 currently) in school and what is going to happen to them when they grow older.
Who is going to fix their clothes, make dinner, write checks, or even take a section of the SAT exams for college; since cursive is a thing of the past? I know this is not everywhere but it’s happening in my county with multiple schools. Kids are learning on the computer instead of in groups.
I can tell you right now that someone is reading this and thinking, "well the parents should be teaching them that." You are right as well, trust me you are correct.
However, what happens if that child’s mom and dad are too drugged up (this is happening a lot in my county…) What if that child’s dad is not in the picture and mom has to work two jobs and is not around all the time? What if they do not have parents? Who is going to teach them then?
From experience, unless you are a big sport star or super smart, in my area a majority of the teachers do not care about you. They just want paid and move you on to the next grade with no care in the world.
Even then if you are a sport star in my area, teachers will curve your grade so you can play in Friday night’s game. They will give you a break and let things slide; grades and attitude. It happens all the time in good old Beaver County Pennsylvania.
I see people saying that something is wrong with our youthful generation. I agree to the fullest extent that something is wrong with the younger children. I do not blame them though.
Our society as a whole has become soft. Little things offend us... that person hurt my feelings, I am going to sue you for your words EVEN THOUGH America has a first amendment right to FREEDOM OF SPEECH!
Children are having children because we are not teaching proper sex education in the schools and at home anymore. The media is full of sex; movies, music, TV shows, advertisements, and dear God the Kardashians. The worst sexed up household to EVER roam this Earth next to the Bunny Mansion. These are the children’s role models-- not mom and dad anymore because mom and dad may not be around or just do not care.
Things have to change in the home and schools if these children are going to succeed in life. We cannot change the children if we do not change the way we teach.
