Monday, January 23, 2006

The Trouble With Boys - Newsweek Society - MSNBC.com

The Trouble With Boys - Newsweek Society - MSNBC.com. Another piece of idiocy from Newsweek and our great educational system. They just discovered that boys are rambunctious and, in today's educational system, they aren't learning as they did in the past. Amid all the psychobabble about ADD, ADHD and other they have one good thought: the decline of the family, especially father figures, seems to contribute. They don't mention that this just might be the product of decades of the elites trying to destroy or remake the male of the species, or the constant attack on the family.

I doubt boys have changed much in the half-century that has passed since I was one. I'm pretty sure that the educational system has run away from discipline and has dumbed down the courses to the point that I doubt anyone could pay attention. PS for you expert educators: the math I took in the 7th and 8th grade is now taught in High School. Math education is not working when the 7th grade is devoted to a mad scramble to make up what wasn't taught and what wasn't learned in grades 1-6.

Back in the dark ages, schools handled discipline without needing an on-site police force. Many of my friends weren't worried about discipline in school, only having it known at home that they were disciplined, because school would be mild with what happened when the note got home.

Seems to me that today's kids are just living down to very low expectations. Challenge them, make the courses interesting, set and enforce certain standards of behavior and give them time (like recess) to burn off excess energy. Parents need to insist that little Johnny behave in school and take quick measure to ensure he does.

Yea, we got bored to tears by some classes and teachers, but knew we only had to endure an hour or so of it. Besides, there was always shop class and the many dedicated educators that challenged us.

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