Students Don’T Learn Respect

My granddaughter recently gave me a copy of a school survey. I could not believe one of the questions: “Does your child feel respected and valued by school personnel?”

To me it should have read: “Does your child respect and value school personnel?”

I always thought respect and self-esteem were earned. I can remember getting a rap on the knuckles with a ruler for not practicing my handwriting the way the teacher wanted. At that time teachers were just one step under God, and you didn’t question their actions.

In our children’s school days the hack paddle was used by the vice principal on the disruptive students. When they got home further discipline was taken. (It was interesting how firm discipline turned some of these attitudes around.)

The teachers’ pedestal was wobbling a bit, but authority was still respected by most.

Today it seems disruptive students have no respect for school authority, school property, their peers or anything else. Try to enforce a school rule and they or their parents say it’s against their rights. Never mind that they are infringing on the rights of those who want to learn or teach.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out we need discipline that works. If certain students aren’t taught discipline, self-control or common courtesy at home or at school, where are they going to learn?

Starting in kindergarten there should be rules that are enforced to teach social behavior. Perhaps, with luck, by the time the students reach high school they will have a respect for authority and some self-control.

This would help with the problems found in the public schools. It also might help with juvenile delinquency, young adult crime, child abuse and domestic violence in the future.

Even the language has changed. From punishment, to discipline, to “appropriate consequences.” Somehow this picture of our school system does not seem right to me.

It’s no wonder people are talking about charter schools and home teaching.

From what I understand school personnel have their hands tied by state and federal laws and rules.

If the rules aren’t making schools better they should be changed. If enough parents, students and teachers let the officials who write the rules know there is a problem, we can make a difference.