12 replies to this topic

[MaryAM]

Maine is proposing two Virtual Charter Schools. Among other changes

http://bangordailyne...-coming-months/
We can no longer afford an obsolete education model any more. Its the biggest failed government program in the history of the country.

[voltaire]

Maine is proposing two Virtual Charter Schools. Among other changes

http://bangordailyne...-coming-months/
We can no longer afford an obsolete education model any more. Its the biggest failed government program in the history of the country.

MaryAM

With all due respect, public schooling works well in the rest of the world.

Virtual schooling would be horrendous.

It is the same as home schooling.

It means children are insulated from other children and a large part of human development is peer interaction.

Isolate the children and you end up with a society that doesn't understand one another and their differences.

Roger

I don't understand why you think I have feeling of superiority and dismiss others.

My whole premise is one of mixing society so we appreciate others and their differences.

I hate the ghetto principle whether it be education or living.

Most racism and exclusion comes from not understanding the views and lives of others.

Once you know them you find they have mostly the same aspirations and same love of family etc.

It is the "demon" strangers that have always engendered fear and distrust.

We are all human after all.

[voltaire]

I guess its the same in the US but here in Australia, those studying to be teachers have very low scores for application. This means they aren't very smart to start with, are underpaid and overstressed. A huge number drop out after a year or two of teaching. In other words teaching is not valued. Part of the reason they are stressed is because discipline is non existent. In my day caning on the bum was common and I had my fair share. No longer allowed of course. It kept me in line and was no more damaging than psychological punishment. Yes, I had a cousin who was caned nearly every day and obviously people like him need different attention. If I got in trouble at school my parents would back the teachers. Today the parents abuse the teachers. Should we go back to caning? Probably not. But let's not pretend our kids are little darlings who can do no wrong. All that is happenning is that parents reinforce the idea that authority should be ignored. We need better teachers and better paid teachers and greater discipline and parental backup and yes, a more inventive caricular and presentation.