🚀 go-pugleaf

In la.general Dale Switzer <dale.switzer@bigfoot.com> wrote:
: > Controling.  Self explanatory
: > Depresses creativity.  I can see where banning obscene words and
: > images and maybe even gang colors *might* be useful..but I'm not
: > convinced of that.
: > Fosters comformity.  No Japanese robot children needed, thank you.

: These, I think, may be the nut of the argument.  Should schools perform
: any level of socialization.  That is, should children be made to
: conform, at least somewhat to societal norms.

: While I shudder at the thought of Japanese style conformity (yuck).  I
: think a middle road may be useful here.  A little manners training would
: do a whole lot of children some good.

School is NOT about developing socialization skills. It is about LEARNING
SKILLS. Manners training begins at HOME, as does ethics. Schools have no
ethics, or manners. 

As an example. A man is in the store he has 14 items, he has his son with
him (abou 5 yrs old) and enters a 10 items or less line. When it is
pointed out to him that he has more than 10 items, he states "I'm in a
rush."

Situational ethics! That's what we, as adults, teach our kids. Wehn you
exceed the speed limit and your kids see you do it, and they mention it,
what is your response? If you start to explain why it is okay for you to
violate the rules, then you are part of the problem.

Socialization skills are not what public schools ae supposed to be
teaching our kids. They should be teaching our kids how to read (and they
aren't), how to write (again, they are failing there) and how to do basic
math (you don't want to see what math and science scores look like in
terms of what they were just 20 years ago).

Finally, what is the "norm"? Well, normalize means to put a kid into the
center of the bell curve (well within the 80% portion of the curve). I
believ that my kid is in the top 10% and I don't want her "normalized"
into what "society" (read "the majority") define as the norm. I want her
to be exceptional.

: > Who is to judge just what clothing is 'correct'? Your idea of
: > 'correct' clothing is not always mine.
: That is what school boards and elections are for, so that the maximum
: number of people have input into the process.

School boards and elections on what is acceptable to "wear" in school.
Next we will see you pushing for the "moment of silent prayer" becuase the
majority feel that that is acceptable and the norm too... screw those that
don't believe in prayer.

The only purpose of the "system" we have is to protect the rights of the
20% that aren't in the majority from the majority.

: > If you insist on a dress code for children..also insist on one for
: > teachers as well.
: I couldn't imagine it any other way.  Don't all schools that have
: uniforms for children require the same uniforms of teachers. Of course
: the catholic schools require an even stricter dress code of the
: teachers.

No.