School Daze

While the heat intensifies between the parties, we need to take note of what our President mentions casually, because it will be law in a matter of months, if he has his way, and so far, he seems to be getting his way. Remember, in his own words a quote, "I won!" He's talking about lengthening the school year for those attending public school and firing the bad teachers, because we are globally behind. Then I read some of the comments regarding this suggestion, and basically many people already agree that this is needed. I see a different handwriting on the wall. I see parents that are having difficulties making ends meet in this economy will see less expense for child care, more structure for their kids, and certainly the issue of "we're too old for a babysitter" will become a non-issue. And although at the surface, this may appear to be a viable solution, I see a real loss of family. A definite distinction in social classes in that those in private school will still be able to have their summers. A statement our President made early in his presidency regarding our society would also be officially confirmed, in that we will no longer be an agrarian society, at least the legal citizens. I also see a great deal of programming time for the kids rather than actually learning. The teachers now say that two months off means two months of review time when the new school year begins. Well, I noticed the statement that said "two months off" so the summer vacation has already been officially shortened without much fanfare, and now we are looking at school year round. Well, Mr. President, I think kids need a certain amount of time to simply be kids. They need to have summer time fun and if the things being taught are so easily forgotten, maybe an overhaul of content and curriculum is what is needed, not an expanse of time to learn it. When summer vacation and the beginning of every new school year with a report entitled, "What I did this summer," is replaced with year round programming, what will the benefit truly be? When this is enacted what happens to the things that are learned through life's experience? What happens to little boy's little league? What happens to scout camp? What happens to Vacation Bible School? What happens to afternoons at the swimming pool or swimming hole? What happens to family vacations? What happens to summer at grandma's? What happens to County Fairs? What happens to the opportunity to get some Vitamin D, naturally? What happens when you've programmed an entire new generation of worker bees that are taught to walk in lockstep, year round? What happens when our youth are programmed day in and day out year round, to simply follow orders? What happens when there is no time to climb trees and contemplate life from the perspective of summertime in the great outdoors?
Train up a child in the way he should go . . . a Proverb of Holy Scripture