Student | Title Education

Title Match: Public Versus Private

As a parent you want the best for your child. As a student you are likely focusing less on education and more on home much fun high school will be. Deciding which educational format will work best for a particular student is often a source of great debate between parents and their children. Deciding between private and public school can be one of the biggest decisions parents and students can make in regards to their education. Consider three major areas to help decide which fits best for your student.

Educational goals: if your student is advanced or has advanced goals for their education private school may be more in keeping with their educational goals. You should also consider the ability of your local public school to educate your student. Review curriculums from both the institutions to determine which is more appropriate.
Religious affiliation: many private schools are affiliated with a religion. If religion plays a large role in your life or if you wish your student to be educated by a religiously affiliated institution private school might be best. Those who do not wish their students to be exposed to religious education might want to steer away from private schooling.
Socialization: private schools offer a different degree of socialization than public schools. Many are same sex, have enforced dress codes and a student conduct code that is stricter than public schools. It is important to carefully consider these areas during the process of determining whether a child should attend public or private schools.

Determining whether a child should attend a public or private school will have a big impact on their future. It is not a decision that should be made lightly. Parents, students and guidance counselors should meet to discuss available options and to determine which will work best for a particular student.

Bullying: It Is No Laughing Matter

School bullying is an issue that many of our high school students are facing. In fact, students as young as elementary school have to deal with the growing problem in which a student or a group of students consistently picks on or harasses another student or a group of students. This harassment can come in the form of negative comments, physical violence or rude pranks. School bullying is a bigger problem than the simple act of bullying. It has led to a culture in which groups of students are afraid to attend class while others feel entitled to pick on those that they perceive as weaker than they are.

School bullying has led to several cases of extreme violence such as the tragedy at Columbine. Left unchecked school bullying will continue to cause growing problems in which those who believe they are bullied seek to end the bullying through acts of further violence.

School administrations across the country are actively seeking to develop programs aimed at ending bullying in the classroom. Programs include educating school age children about bullying including the forms it can take and the effect it can have. The programs also aim to put clear and decisive punishments in place for those that opt to bully.

The trouble begins when students are afraid to report bullying, feel their complaints are not being addressed or are left feeling that they are at fault. Parents often make the situation worse by refusing to believe that their child is a bully or by not reporting an incident of bullying to the administration.

The only way to end bullying completely is to develop a program of 100% honesty and responsibility. Students need the freedom to report bullying and to know that their concerns will be addressed immediately and appropriately. This will only work if parents, teachers, administrators and students work together.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Bullying, Student

Harassment Horrors

It is a sad fact that many of our students feel they are harassed in the classroom. From students who feel they are put down because of their race, religion, sexual orientation or gender to those who believe the administration or the faculty are treating them differently, harassment can quickly end a student’s education and lead to increased dropout rates. Understanding school harassment, what causes it and how to appropriately address it is the only way to end this problem.

School harassment may take several different forms. A student may feel harassed by peers. Under this form of harassment students are singled out and consistently treated differently or picked on by fellow classmates. Students can also be harassed by faculty or administrators. This form of harassment is often considered more serious and often includes students who are singled out by teachers. Faculty harassment often makes students feel that they cannot attend class.

School harassment, like all forms of harassment, is often caused by a lack of understanding. Because of this students who are different in some way are often the recipients of harassment. Common causes of harassment include gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation and appearance.

Combating school harassment often means nothing more than a program of education which fosters a feeling of acceptance. That’s just a nice way of saying that teachers, administrators and parents must teach our students to understand the differences are a sign of individuality and uniqueness. Differences are not a sign of weakness. Respecting others for their differences is important. Unfortunately most school harassment is only stopped by swift and appropriate punishments.

If we do not address school harassment it is likely that the problem will continue to grow. Students who perceive they are being harassed are likely to drop out of class and this could lead to a higher unemployment rates, higher drug and alcohol abuse rates and other problems.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Harassment, Student

Seeing Through Violence

Violence has been growing in our schools. It isn’t just the number of incidents that is growing; it is the severity of those instances. School violence used to mean a fight in the playground or someone’s belongings being destroyed. Today’s incidences of school violence are more likely to include firearms or other lethal weapons. Instead of students with black eyes, today school violence gives us students who are permanently injured or even killed. There is no way to sugarcoat this problem. It is serious and it is growing.

It is easy to blame school violence on things like violence in video games and the media or increased access to firearms, but the truth is school violence is about more than what our children are exposed to. It is about what our children are feeling, how they’re taught to deal with those feelings and a general feeling of entitlement or invulnerability.

School violence is a touchy subject because many people have differing views on what causes school violence and how should be addressed. Many believe that the root cause of school violence is harassment or bullying while others believe that school violence is caused by ‘bad’ kids or kids with violent tendencies. Maybe it doesn’t matter what causes school violence, may be what really matters is how we deal with it.

Some schools are opting to install metal detectors, employing fulltime security guards and regularly searching lockers and backpacks. Others require students to carry see through backpacks. Maybe preventative measures are not enough. Maybe what we need to do is educate our children from kindergarten about school violence.

Perhaps if students, teachers, parents and administrators all learn to understand the early signs of violence we can begin to put a stop to it. Something must be done before school violence continues to escalate.

Filed Under: Education, School Violence Tagged With: School violence, Student, Violence

Options for Students after High School

As little as 5 to 10 years ago, it was still possible to get a job, some of which paid rather well, without a college degree. However, this scenario is rapidly disappearing. Today, the expectation is that a job applicant has a college degree. That means it is more important than ever to obtain an online degree.

For some high school students, though, the very thought of spending four to five more years in a classroom setting is simply more than they can deal with, whether that feeling is caused by the fact that they are tired of the “school” environment or because of financial concerns. For these students, the modern advances in technology that make it possible to get an online degree may be the answer.

Online universities are usually somewhat cheaper than traditional universities, but that does not mean that students must pay all charges up front. Online universities can offer financial aid for students pursuing online degrees, just like other higher education opportunities. This is just one reason why online degrees are becoming popular with many students. Another reason is the benefits of a “non-traditional” classroom setting.

Many students enjoy the convenience and flexibility that the Internet affords where earning online degrees is concerned. The idea of literally being able to attend class in one’s underwear or setting the time when one wants to attend class can be very inviting to someone for whom traditional start and end times for classes was bothersome.

Others like the fact that they are able to work a job as well as work towards online degrees. In fact, many students take advantage of break and lunch periods at their job to study for or work on assignments because they are readily available to them. This allows them to utilize their time in a manner that works best for them.

Filed Under: Students Tagged With: Academic degree, Colleges and Universities, Distance education, Distance Learning, Education, Higher education, online degrees, Student

Bringing Pride Back To Our Schools

Just who is responsible for caring for school property? It’s sort of depends on who you talk to. Some believe school property is entirely cared for by the janitorial staff, others believe the administration should take responsibility and still others believe students and teachers play a large role in the care school property. The truth is it is everyone’s responsibility to care for the facilities, property and other assets located in a school.

Developing a program that encourages everyone from the head of the school board to the smallest kindergarten student to care for all pieces of school property might be the best idea. Doing so has several benefits including fostering a sense of responsibility in students and faculty alike. It also can help create a learning environment that students, teachers, administrators and parents are all proud of.

This concept starts first with clearly identifying areas of concern throughout the school. This may mean an area that is subjected to repeated attacks of graffiti or a student area that is consistently used as a favorite hangout for litterbugs. Starting small as a good idea as it allows those participating in a program to develop a sense of pride in their work. One the area has been identified it’s time to begin the work.

It is important to encourage as many students, faculty, parents and administrators as possible to work to clean up the property. The more people involved in the project the more likely it is to succeed. Larger projects which may require funding, for example installing a new playgrounds set, may require additional planning and can be an excellent way to introduce students to project management, budgeting and even fundraising.

Caring for student property should be the focus of the community not simply a select few on whose shoulders this enormous responsibility rests.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Education, Student

What Are We Really Teaching Them

Whether we like to admit it or not a big problem facing our students and schools today is discipline. Breaking rules or even just bending them must be adequately addressed. This is an enormous issue because many parents and students feel that it is not the responsibility of a teacher or school to discipline the child. Obviously there’s a problem here and it isn’t just that students are disobeying the rules. In fact one of the biggest problems is developing a program aimed at providing reasonable consequences to students who disobey school rules.

Back in the day corporal punishment was popular and common. Students who disobeyed rules were likely to be paddled, have their hands ruler slapped or other such physical punishment. This form of corporal punishment has been done away with almost completely. Corporal punishment only exists in privately funded schools in which parents are given the option to allow corporal punishment for their students.

This change likely came in an attempt to protect the rights of students. Administrators and politicians might not have stopped to think how important an effective punishments system can be. Today’s students often get little more than a detention for serious infractions. News stories of students plagiarizing, vandalizing school property and bullying others abound and in many cases show that misbehaving students are not really punished.

While the unlikely that corporal punishment will come back perhaps what we need is it a more demanding set of rules, standards and guidelines and appropriate punishments for each infraction. Parents, students and administrators must clearly understand these infractions and punishments and agree to a set of standardized punishments for infractions.

Our students are supposed to learn how to behave as adults during their school career. By teaching them that rule breaking has no consequence we’re setting them up to fail.

Filed Under: Education, Teachers Tagged With: Child discipline, Corporal punishment, Education, Parent, Punishment, Student

Innocent Until Proven Guilty: Student Rights

As American’s, we have certain inalienable rights. Freedom of speech, freedom of press and the right to not be discriminated against to name a few. The weird thing is, in the same country, our students, particularly minors in elementary or secondary school, don’t seem to be afforded these same rights. Consider for a moment a minor child out walking late at night alone. That child may technical have the right to do so, but in reality they will likely be picked up, forcibly if needed, and returned home. This would never happen to an adult – unless they were breaking a law.

Luckily for our students, in most cases, the Supreme Court has consistently worked to protect the right of our students. Take for example violations of free expression. In a case, Tinker v Des Moines (393 US 503 [1969]), a group of students wore black arm bands to symbolize their disapproval of the Vietnam War. The school board attempted to force the students to remove the arm bands. The Supreme Court disagreed, stating that student’s actions did not disrupt the classroom.

Similar cases have been brought before the court regarding freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Students have been excused from saying the pledge while other students have won the right to produce school newspapers that are uncensored.

The trouble with student rights is that in most cases a student who feels their rights are being violated often has little choice but to accept the school ruling unless they have the time or money to fight the issue, often to the Supreme Court.

Our students have rights, just like the rest of the citizens of our country. When those rights are disregarded, they have the right to bring the issue before a court of law. Wouldn’t be nice though, if instead of creating rules for every aspect and potential issue, our students, like our criminals, were ‘innocent’ until proven guilty.

Filed Under: Education, Students Tagged With: Student, Student rights

An Apple A Day And Other Rules

Colleges and schools need rules and regulations in order to function properly. In the United States there is no federal standard for these rules and regulations. Instead, schools are regulated at the state and local level, except when a federal law supersedes it. A comprehensive list of school regulations is not possible; however, most schools and colleges have rules covering the same areas. Students and parents are encouraged to check with their local school district for a complete listing of applicable rules and regulations.

A large portion of the rules focus on student conduct and responsibility. These laws are designed to provide students, teacher and administrators with a healthy and effective learning environment. These regulations, in particular, are often superseded by federal laws. Examples include discrimination laws, regulations governing the treatment of special needs students and truancy regulations.

Other laws govern curriculum and course content. These regulations are somewhat sticky, owing primarily to No Child Left Behind. The 2002 federal law does not regulate curriculum, but it does offer states additional funding based on performance. Prior to 2002 curriculum and content was handled primarily on a local basis. After the passage of NCLB many states took control of curriculum in order to assure they were eligible for more funds.

Additional regulations apply, again depending on the institution. Typically absenteeism, tardiness, probation, academic standards and other areas are cover. All educational institutions provide students, teachers, parents and administrators with carefully worded student code handbooks which explain in detail all of the applicable words and regulations.

Until such time as the federal government mandates across the board governance of schools and colleges it is likely that this system of varying rules will remain in place and maybe that isn’t a bad thing. Maybe it is the differences that make our education system work.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Education, Law, Regulation, School, Student

Public Convenience: Tolerance

The world is shaped to customs, to the strange philosophies — all passed down from generation to generation, changed to reflect the modern needs. There are differences to discover. There are ideas to greet. And the classrooms filled with all races, religions and creeds create an education that can’t be refused… unless parents are considering a private institution.

There are endless advantages to private schools. This could never be refused. They provide sterling selections of courses, extracurriculars and community service programs. They ensure that each child is offered the necessary attention and relief. They do not, however, provide the wanted cultural experiences. Instead they are defined to the shocking similarities.

The majority of pupils within private schools will come from identical social and religious backgrounds. There will be occasional distinctions (often from the inclusion of scholarship students or those receiving financial aid). Most, however, will be defined to the same standards. And this is not a value parents should want.

To succeed in the world all most be aware of those who help to create it. Tolerance is needed; compassion is required; and there must be an understanding of how to relate to the ones who are so very different. A public education guarantees exposure to all forms of cultures and customs. It ensures that students will not be overwhelmed by new opinions or ideas. Instead they will learn (early) to accept these and consider them valid.

This is essential in an age when continents can be bridged so easily. Countries are no longer contained within their borders. They can instead sprawl wide, seeking out connections. And students must be able to do the same — an action that becomes infinitely more difficult when their lives have been kept to the sterile similarities.

A public education is precisely what its name implies: an education for the public. All are included and all can be taught the essential lessons. It’s an experience that can’t be denied.

Filed Under: Education, Private School, Students Tagged With: Education, Private school, State school, Student