In the United States, education is seen as a right. This might sound good at first, but many, many people take it for granted. Actually, not only do they take it for granted, they abuse their right to education. Oftentimes, there is not accountability for students and parents in the public education systems, so that bad kids and the bad parents ruin it for everyone else. Teachers are powerless to discipline thier students properly when this happens, because they don't have the legal authority necessary to do so. This is why their is such a big difference between urban public education, suburban public education, rural public education, and private education in the United States. This is also why there is so much violence and failure in these schools.
After teaching in these schools, I have decided that something must be done. Parents and students should share in the responsibility for each child's education, and if they refuse to do so then there should be a way of removing them from the normal schools immediately. This should be the same for any student who ever attempts to commit violence against another student. They should not be allowed back to that school, ever.
What do you think? How can parents and students be held accountable lin education? Should we view education as a privilege that can be lost, or as a right that the state must afford even those that do not want it?
