Childrens Responsibility

Children's Responsibility
By Mary Anne Winslow

There were two main kinds of state secondary schools before the 1960s in the UK. Now, at least 180 days a year, children attend school to receive the quality of education our Constitution says that they deserve. These schools are institutions, responsible for instilling into our children the knowledge and skills necessary to survive in our society. By rule, teachers are the authoritarians in their classrooms, and are expected to be mature, responsible leaders. They are expected to fill those in attendance, with knowledge. In any conversation with educators, the problem is noted that, today, more than ever, students are coming to school unprepared or even unwilling to learn. More specifically, teachers will note that students' behavior in the classroom is no longer conducive to a learning environment. As an active, classroom employee in a public school system, I have seen firsthand the behaviors associated with classroom interruption, and have to support the theory that the negative student behaviors prevalent today are indeed a leading factor in why our education systems are failing our children. With this in mind, the questions are raised as what causes lead to such problematic behavior in our youth, as well as, who is accountable in correcting these behaviors, or optimally, changing these behaviors, so that learning can again be the environment of the classroom.

With an increase in single parenting and more homes where both parents are employed full-time, the role of parents in their children's lives has drastically changed. Further, many parents are simply no longer involved in actively raising their children. For this reason, teachers feel their efforts in the classroom are not being supported at home.