Children In America

[whiskeywoman]

I was recently chatting with a friend of mine.

We discussed the normal things, weather, new music, recipies, and of course, kids.

It seems that children are no longer allowed to use jump ropes, becuase other children can not jump.

Basketball hoops are no longer allowed either, becuase some children are unable to make the baskets.

Score is no longer being kept at little league games, for fear it will harm a childs self esteem if thery lose.

I always thought it was acceptable for some children to be better at something than others,

Thats just the way it goes, a child that is not good in sports may excel at math or science.

And a child that is good at baseball may not be so good in english.

Is this really the right thing to do?

To deny our children the options of learning how to be a good sport?

Is it right for our children to not learn that it is ok to be dissapointed?

What happens when our children get into the real world and start their first job?

The person next to them excels in something they don't and gets the promotion, or the employee of the month award?

What then? how are they supposed to handle the dissapointment of not getting it, and how are they supposed to be a good loser if they never learned as a child?

This may not be a hard lesson to teach if you have multiple children, but I think it would be awfully diffacult if you only have one child.

There is no sibling rivalry, there are no "contests" who can run faster, or longer, who can jump, who can make more baskets, who can pick up the toys the fastest etc.

Schools teach us more than reading and math, they teach us, about sharing, good sportmanship, how to handle disspaointment.

School is where we forge friendships, and learn about others, its where we learn the very basic elements of how to be a good person.

Yes I know that a lot of this is taught at home, but isn't that supposed to be reinforced when the child is at school?

Have the schools finally overstepped their boundries?

Are we raising a nation of pansies?

[thurisas]

I just heard something about this very thing on the radio the other day. As the baby boomers are leaving the workforce companies are starting to be forced to hire the first wave of these pampered generations. For now the work mentality is that the company comes before the individual but as the children from that first pampered generation are entering the workforce companies are so much at a loss that they're having to hire consultants to learn how to deal with this new 'its all about me and my feelings' attitude. Before too long I think you'll find that the individual will think their needs come before the company's, that our economy will take a huge hit, and that more and more white collar crimes will pop up during the transition of generations.

Thurisas.

[Tyger]

I think the lack of accountability, "wussifying", and over-censorship is really getting out of hand. Kids need to learn balance of how to loose how to win gracefully, and make more effort into making themselves better and stronger people, not just in sports. Building self-esteem and making kids desire to make themselves better, and have fun while doing it, instead of "offending them" is really getting out of hand.

Being PC is getting to be overly anal as well.

I mean, if one kid can't jump because they're in a wheelchair, they're going to think that the world MUST conform to their needs 100%, so they don't need to try hard to do anything, things should come easy to them because they're not able to do one thing or another. What's next? Banning TV because a blind person can't watch it? I never was good at any school sports, but that didn't mean that I wanted other kids to miss out and not participate cuz I couldn't do it. I mean, how selfish is that???

[Kinky Twinkie]

I think the lack of accountability, "wussifying", and over-censorship is really getting out of hand. Kids need to learn balance of how to loose how to win gracefully, and make more effort into making themselves better and stronger people, not just in sports. Building self-esteem and making kids desire to make themselves better, and have fun while doing it, instead of "offending them" is really getting out of hand.

Being PC is getting to be overly anal as well.

I mean, if one kid can't jump because they're in a wheelchair, they're going to think that the world MUST conform to their needs 100%, so they don't need to try hard to do anything, things should come easy to them because they're not able to do one thing or another. What's next? Banning TV because a blind person can't watch it? I never was good at any school sports, but that didn't mean that I wanted other kids to miss out and not participate cuz I couldn't do it. I mean, how selfish is that???

Neil Boortz this morning (talk radio guy out of atlanta) was making a statment similer to this and I have wondered about it myself. Everytime something happens, the school boards bring in counselors for everybody. It could be a shooting, a death by over dose, or auto accident. This neve happened when I was in school but the thing that got him going was that a school was bring in councilers because a adult lady walked into the school and dropper her drawers( maybe she was mooning the principle) and the kids saw it.

Now maybe she was big and ugly but still, this is abit to much

Glenn

[shygirl13]

I have to comment on this because this is right up my alley. I am an elementary Physical education teacher. I get to see this first hand and all I have to say is If you only saw what I see it would make you sick. i am young but I grew up with all the sportsmanship and win/lose stuff. I never has a problem with it. I work very hard to try and teacher all that to my students; however it is the parents that have the most trouble with this. I love the fact that most of you feel that students need to learn this but it seems like you have become a minority. I know I work very hard to create a work ethic in my classes were students learn how to win or lose and take away a lesson from the games or activities we do. Unfortunately the laws and the standards that we have now want other while. Inclusion and No Child Left Behind SUCK!!! They sound great on paper but they are not helping the kids. We are truly raising kids with no work ethic, no sportsmanship, and ability to survive on their own without destroying the big picture of how the world works because it is all about me. Trust me most teachers feel the same way but at the same time our hands are tied and we are just as frustrated as you may be. (Notice I used the word MOST) I personally feel that kids today lack RESPECT.

Oh well enough out of me. I could go on and on about this because I walk about this with my fellow teachers all the time. We worry about the direction this nation is going in because we can see the trouble already and it is only going to get worse. Thanks for listening and I hope I did not upset anyone. Most teachers try but a lot of this starts at home and we cannot save the work in a few ours a day and we have to deal with the laws as well.

S

[Kinky Twinkie]

I have to comment on this because this is right up my alley. I am an elementary Physical education teacher. I get to see this first hand and all I have to say is If you only saw what I see it would make you sick. i am young but I grew up with all the sportsmanship and win/lose stuff. I never has a problem with it. I work very hard to try and teacher all that to my students; however it is the parents that have the most trouble with this. I love the fact that most of you feel that students need to learn this but it seems like you have become a minority. I know I work very hard to create a work ethic in my classes were students learn how to win or lose and take away a lesson from the games or activities we do. Unfortunately the laws and the standards that we have now want other while. Inclusion and No Child Left Behind SUCK!!! They sound great on paper but they are not helping the kids. We are truly raising kids with no work ethic, no sportsmanship, and ability to survive on their own without destroying the big picture of how the world works because it is all about me. Trust me most teachers feel the same way but at the same time our hands are tied and we are just as frustrated as you may be. (Notice I used the word MOST) I personally feel that kids today lack RESPECT.

Oh well enough out of me. I could go on and on about this because I walk about this with my fellow teachers all the time. We worry about the direction this nation is going in because we can see the trouble already and it is only going to get worse. Thanks for listening and I hope I did not upset anyone. Most teachers try but a lot of this starts at home and we cannot save the work in a few ours a day and we have to deal with the laws as well.

S

If parents get more involved, there is no need for more goverment. This is not acceptable to goverment funding school expansion.

I hate goverment schools, I was a educational victem of them and they showed me they hd no interest in my educational development. Butthey did have interest in me being there because the school got so much $$$ for me being present.For an AB student, they saw no interest in giving me more advance courses. So per a teacher recommendation, I withdrew at age 18 and went to the community college around the corner and did the GED program at no cost other then text books and exam fees. Weeks later in the mail from the state of florida came my high school diploma which looked no different then my brothers who graduated a year later other then the fact it didn't have a school logo on it. emploers did not care long as i had that paper, they didnt give a flip what the paper looked like. Not what the deam of boys told me.

Then I signed up for college courses because I liked the enviroment which I would not have considered before hand, it was at the GED classes that the teacher had a different attitude then what I saw in public school. You want to go to the bathroom, go it down the hall. I here to teach they told me, if you don't want it get out. Some kids left, I stayed. When I took the college entrance exam, I was surprised how poor my skills were. I had to take remedial english, math, etc to get it up to a minimum standard. So much for the grades I got in public school that sayed I was doing great.

My wife a teacher, she disagrees with me on my view of our educational system. But while I ADMIT i NOT THE TEACHER, she wasn't a student here in the states either. In the system she from, there is No lockers, computers, and class sizes of 30 something. Her class sizes were 150 plus and there was no AC, no buses, no spring, winter and summer breaks, and there was a lot of resect for teachers by the students.

My view for teachers is this, get rid of the crappy ones that dont want to teach. pay the teachers more that do and pay them more based upon their students improved scores BUT raise the bar making the education harder. No passing them because it fair and they will feel better about it. No moe dumb downing the students. In asia, geometry is taught in elementry school along with algebra

temp give the teachers stun guns and tazers and let them use them on the students when needed til they can get trained on deadly force and use of fire arms. Then take the cops out of the school and let the teachers carry the fire arms. After a few dead students turn up ,that were gonna harm others. in self defense, the teachers will have their respect back and the students will start to behave. Say by by to political correctness and get rid of the teachers union who don't do a damn thing anyway but take the dues from teachers and hand it out to liberal polititions. But I an extremist who believes in paddling the crap out of the students and they getting it again when they get home, so I don't expect anyone to agree with me.

Oh sorry for the spelling, i typing and handling a baby at the same time. Little John Wayne jr here, punched me in the nose the other day when he got mad at me. unfortunatly at 7 months, I can't punch him back. When he gets older I can back hand him because there is no time out crap in this house.

I guess I old fasion

Glenn

[pappyld04]

This is FUCKED UP LIKE POLIO!!! I had no clue that things had gone this far. It makes me worry about the next generation. Are they going to ask that the kids all have the same bikes? The pink ones might be faster! After being in the work force for 20+ years I began to see some of this bullshit coming in. Kids showing up thinking they know everything after a few days. That's fine with me but when they're laying on the floor missing their fingers I almost feel bad saying I told you so!! As I said ALMOST! They whine "I can't" about everything. In my occupation this is unacceptable. I've been hired on a few occasions to make someone quit. Every time this has occured I've accomplished this in 1 night! It seems that they don't have a clue about working for a living. They expect it to be given to them. My chosen occupation is one of the toughest I know of. And it is going to shit! This is only a part of the reason for the price of gas now. Where we used to do this with 4 men it is now done by 6-8. And I don't know if any of them really know what they are doing. We have gotten phone calls from old bosses who are now in Texas who are crying for help. The world is overly-sensitive and school is not the only place this is happening. The workplace is the next victim. And I bet parenting will follow suit!! I'm disgusted by the way emloyers are falling into line with it. There is no way that this country will remain a superpower with the BS that is taking place. No expectations and lower standards, what a policy!!!!!

[Kinky Twinkie]

This is FUCKED UP LIKE POLIO!!! I had no clue that things had gone this far. It makes me worry about the next generation. Are they going to ask that the kids all have the same bikes? The pink ones might be faster! After being in the work force for 20+ years I began to see some of this bullshit coming in. Kids showing up thinking they know everything after a few days. That's fine with me but when they're laying on the floor missing their fingers I almost feel bad saying I told you so!! As I said ALMOST! They whine "I can't" about everything. In my occupation this is unacceptable. I've been hired on a few occasions to make someone quit. Every time this has occured I've accomplished this in 1 night! It seems that they don't have a clue about working for a living. They expect it to be given to them. My chosen occupation is one of the toughest I know of. And it is going to shit! This is only a part of the reason for the price of gas now. Where we used to do this with 4 men it is now done by 6-8. And I don't know if any of them really know what they are doing. We have gotten phone calls from old bosses who are now in Texas who are crying for help. The world is overly-sensitive and school is not the only place this is happening. The workplace is the next victim. And I bet parenting will follow suit!! I'm disgusted by the way emloyers are falling into line with it. There is no way that this country will remain a superpower with the BS that is taking place. No expectations and lower standards, what a policy!!!!!

If you can't have spring break and summer vacation off with pay like they do in school plus provide them a free lunch I guess they need to report it to OSHIA. That kind of inhuman conditions just isnt fair.

[pappyld04]

If you can't have spring break and summer vacation off with pay like they do in school plus provide them a free lunch I guess they need to report it to OSHIA. That kind of inhuman conditions just isnt fair.

I don't mind sharing my lunch with them. They just don't like the way I do it. I take 15 minutes to get my food and straight back to the salt mines with food in hand. It is possible to eat with 1 hand and work with the other!! One of the kids I'm talking about had his Mommy call the boss and tell him I was working him too hard and he didn't get to eat. Since the kid was afraid of heights I took his lunchbox up in the derrick and tied it to the tailrope on the back of the tubing board. When his 15 minute break came up I went and retrieved it then put it back. No more hiding in the doghouse for him. I also gave him back his gas money and told him to find his own way to work. OOPS!!!

[Fargo]

It's called dumbing down of America... it takes away the individuality of people. No one over another. I think it's wrong that they do it. Same thing with uniforms. All kids look alike. No one showing off how much or how little their families have. I grew up poor, but didn't really care what another had. I looked at their family life. Most of those kids who had more than me had more problems. Drug use what have ya! I tell my kids that everyone is different and have different values and they should be respected for it. Just don't do what they do. lol

I home schooled my kids. Different class of friends and people for them so some of what they see and here, puts them off. People need to be different on their own terms. Thats what makes, this world worth while.

I say be different!

[mensaphiliac]

Ditto to much of what has been said. Not to say there aren't any good schools or any good teachers, but they're a frighteningly small minority.

We are homeschooling our kids. We tell them that they need to do their very best and expect that they will, but at the same time we explain that sometimes their best won't be good enough. They won't always win. Sometimes someone else will get the prize, the job, the whatever. In that case, they need to be good sports about it.

Our oldest took a test when she was 5 to see if she could skip a grade. She missed doing so by 2 points (needed a 90), despite the fact that she'd not had one day of instruction in the first grade. Now how assbackwards is that?!? You can sit through an entire school year and pass with a 70%, yet you have to make a 90% if you want to skip the grade. It's a good example of low expectations.

All that to say, I agree; the public school system is badly broken.

[gemini26]

Shygirl, I hear that all too often. My sister is a middle school teacher and I hear everything you just said every time I talk to her. She can't reprimand a student that refuses to do homework, pay attention, or learn as their parents go up one side of her and down the other. She has a strong love of teaching and believes that "No child left behind" is a crock. Slow the other kids down because Johnny doesn't care to move ahead. That's what we're doing.

And the workforce thing... I am amazed at how much of a generation gap there is between myself and those even a few years younger than myself. I have seen the absolute lack of work ethic that the new members of the workforce straight out of college can have. The last few people I've seen come through my office even just months younger than myself shock me with their mentality that the company owes them something. Excuse me??? You are getting paid to do the company a service, not just show up. I have worked my ass off for years to be where I am today despite my lack of college education and work harder for every raise I earn.

This just goes to show that it really starts at home - if parents really cared about their child's education, they would not take everything out on the teachers. And if parents made their kids work at home, they would have more pride in the jobs they do (or don't). Spolied doesn't even begin to cover it... I had a job at 15 to pay for my Driver's Ed... not a Mercedes handed to me on my 16th birthday. I didn't get an allowance for doing the dishes or mowing the lawn, I got a roof over my head and dinner on the table. And I guarantee those on the board even five years older than me worked harder for less than I did growing up.

GRRRRRR

[krisleightate]

I see this every day at work. The schools are making the students think everything should be given to them. It is actually causing more fights in the schools. As a substitute teacher I see all ages of children and I think that everyone is so stuck on not hurting anyones feelings or the fear of upsetting someone is truly hurting the kids.

[whiskeywoman]

"Excuse me??? You are getting paid to do the company a service, not just show up. I have worked my ass off for years to be where I am today despite my lack of college education and work harder for every raise I earn. "

Gemini:

Boy do I know how you feel there.

I can not begin to tell you how many people I saw come in and out because of poor work ethics.

We had one guy that actually stood there and answered and sent text messages to his buddies while standing and waiting on customers.

He got offended because someone complained because he was supposed to be waiting on customers and he was talking on the phone.

when the ladies left he went outside and began screaming obsenities at them, when it was all said and done, he got fired, then he filed a lawsuuit saying we discriminated against him, it was not fair that he got fired because he was talking during his working hours.

Of course the lawsuit was eventually dropped, the companys attorney said it was clearly stated in the handbook what

was expected of each employee, and that the lawsuit was frivolous.

I am glad to see that I am not alone in my beliefs.

I do not place the blame entirely on the teachers, just the school system in general.

Things have gotten too far out of hand for it to be only the teachers fault.

I am probably old fashioned, but, honestly... I would love to see the teachers be able to stay after school to help a student that wanted/needed the lil extra boost.

I know I know, those days are long gone, but those were the best teachers, the ones who stayed after to help a student who wanted it, you could tell those were the ones who really loved their jobs and they were the ones who cared most about the students.

Ah, the good ol days, man, I miss the mammoth hide dresses....

[pappyld04]

I'm sure we would be hard pressed to find more than a handful of teachers who liked this new way of thinking. Same for the dedicated teachers of the past. I don't see any motivation for them to even give a shit. I'm really surprised that there are people who want to teach. And the way they give diplomas away is a joke. Our days of being a superpower are numbered!!!!!

[Jo Savage]

Yes. Lets all raise our scores by dropping our standards. I saw that in school all the time. PE is something that every kid suffers through. Its nothing new or inhumane. I suffered through all of it and was so overjoyed when I finally could elect out of it.

The sad thing is, it isn't that hard to earn like a C minimal in a class. I still see all kinds of kids who are satisfied with a D in a class because its still passing.

[Tricknology]

Shygirl, I hear that all too often. My sister is a middle school teacher and I hear everything you just said every time I talk to her. She can't reprimand a student that refuses to do homework, pay attention, or learn as their parents go up one side of her and down the other. She has a strong love of teaching and believes that "No child left behind" is a crock. Slow the other kids down because Johnny doesn't care to move ahead. That's what we're doing.

And the workforce thing... I am amazed at how much of a generation gap there is between myself and those even a few years younger than myself. I have seen the absolute lack of work ethic that the new members of the workforce straight out of college can have. The last few people I've seen come through my office even just months younger than myself shock me with their mentality that the company owes them something. Excuse me??? You are getting paid to do the company a service, not just show up. I have worked my ass off for years to be where I am today despite my lack of college education and work harder for every raise I earn.

This just goes to show that it really starts at home - if parents really cared about their child's education, they would not take everything out on the teachers. And if parents made their kids work at home, they would have more pride in the jobs they do (or don't). Spolied doesn't even begin to cover it... I had a job at 15 to pay for my Driver's Ed... not a Mercedes handed to me on my 16th birthday. I didn't get an allowance for doing the dishes or mowing the lawn, I got a roof over my head and dinner on the table. And I guarantee those on the board even five years older than me worked harder for less than I did growing up.

GRRRRRR

I completely agree. Having been an employer until recently I've seen a lot of the societal effects firsthand. This seems to be a problem at all levels of society. 3rd generation welfare recipients or 5th generation spoiled rich kids, you're all driving this country down the tubes. No wonder other countries look upon us with such disdain.

Oh, and I tip my hat to all the roughnecks, pappyld04. I dearly love burning all those dead dinosaurs.

[bazil323]

This trend is only going set kids up to expect (1) everything works out just for them or (2) it doesn't matter how good you are or how hard you work, so take it easy and don't work hard.

I grew up in a family that expected the kids to do age appropriate chores, and if you didn't do those chores, you didn't get the reward. No allowance, etc. My brothers were 11 years and 9 years older than me, so they were better at everything, and that was okay! It taught me to always try harder next time. They rarely gave me any slack when we played games, so I had to try hard to beat them. It made me better. Otherwise, I would have thought, "Oh wow, I beat them! I am so good, I don't even have to try." And then, later, I would have realized that I actually sucked and would have been so crushed that I wouldn't have played that game again.

Do your kids a favor: Set rules, punish them appropriately when they break them, and give them a guide to better themselves. If that means they have to lose a game of basketball, so be it. There is truth in the saying that "it builds character" and "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger." Teach them to deal with the disappointments and to be a good sport when the win!

[pappyld04]

Unfortunately some parents have never learned to be a good sport and will never be able to teach that skill.

[Blurted]

life wasn't fair in the school I went to and I'm only 22. I'm appalled to hear that they aren't keeping score at sporting events for little tykes. that's ridiculous.

also, the advantage of being smarter than somebody else is also taken out of schools. You get no credit for learning what you need to learn vs. not anymore. it really is about children 'advancing' and it's gotten to the point to where kids can graduate high school not knowing half what the dropouts do. its discouraging when somebody dumb as rocks can get the same reward with little effort. it's no wonder kids in school have no desire even to get something accomplished. when everything is fair, life sucks. when people of varying talents and abilities are taught that they can get the same results by applying the same effort in all aspects the rate of failure when people start having to make decisions for themselves rises cause their going to try to do stuff they aren't cut out for.

although I disagree about wearing a uniform, kids can dress up outsida school. I wear a uniform to work, and I don't think I look my best in it, but I dont complain and whine about it cause I wear what I want on my own time, while I represent the company I'm working for I represent the way they want me to. besides, if I really looked my best at work none of the women would be able to get anything accomplished I think kids could have an opportunity to be taught that they don't always get to 'express' themselves through their clothes, and could possibly find a better way to express themselves, like communication (lol). I work with adults who want to 'protest' that they have to tuck in their shirts starting feb 10th, and while I don't like it, I'm not so put out by it that I want to protest something that's just going to be another small part of my job.

[Emelisse]

I come from a family of teachers, and I've seen firsthand what it's like in schools right now. I don't know where in the country you guys are, but I'm in an urban area and have friends who teach in a suburban area. The teachers are NOT the ones slacking. No Child Left Behind is a crock and a half. EVERY child is left behind because too many bureaucrats are being given free-rein in a system they know nothing about! Ever look at the so-called "educational research" behind NCLB? It's written entirely by a panel of people who are only interested in promoting their own pre-packaged "education" programs - for their own monetary gain!

NCLB does not take into account what we KNOW about child development or learning strategies. Do your kids actually get anything out of their education when they are forced to memorize facts and data? No! They need the time to actually learn to make CONNECTIONS and THINK for themselves! Unfortunately, that sort of knowledge (even though it will do them so much more good than route memorization) cannot be measured on standardized tests. Does no one realize that teachers are PROFESSIONALS and deserve respect as such? Children are not machines to be cranked out of a factory, but no one is giving educators the resources and time they need to actually teach kids what they need to know!

Sadly, it really is all about the money. Just think at how much cash the testing industry drags in. Even when those "results" come back they really don't say anything. Children with disabilities, ELL students, TAG kids and your "average" kids are all lumped in the same boat - the school is given a total score that says nothing about these different skill levels or how they affected the score. So really, we are wasting millions of dollars on an entire industry that steals money from our schools.

As for the free lunch thing someone mentioned, many of the kids my mom teaches qualify for free meals at school. For many, it really is all they get to eat. They dread winter break and summer vacation because they are going HUNGRY. How focused could your children be on a lesson when they're wondering if they'll be fed over the weekend?

As for the whole attitude thing, sure, many kids don't have much respect and don't value education. Don't blame that on teachers and schools... actually, don't blame it on anyone. It doesn't solve the damn problem, it just shifts your focus from addressing the actual problem.

Whew... Sorry that was so long, but this subject really riles me up.

-Em

[Valntyn]

Whew... Sorry that was so long, but this subject really riles me up.

-Em

No need whatsoever to apologize -- your post was beautifully worded.

[KeeFee]

It is interesteing to see the you in the US of A are starting to see some of the problems us brits have been going on about for the last 10 years or so......Normally we get trends from the US 10 years after they have started there, not the other way round !

I have 2 girls, one 17 and one of 12. The elder is a science geek and loves electronics etc, but gets all kinds of trouble from those who still think science is for boys. However, her intelligence, exam results, and humor shines through. The trouble is caused by those who feel that results are gained by just being part of the system, a cog in society, taking what is offered on a plate, and giving nothing back in return.

My youngest is really into sport, and reguarly beats the girls and most of the boys of her age and a year older in 800 and 1500m......We pay for her to have private althletics training because the local school cant "afford the time" to help her during Phys Ed to nurture her skills. Instead they insist that all pupils have a balanced routine. In fact she has even been barred from entering school competitions because she is too good! Apparently, the other kids must be allowed to have a chance of winning! Grrrr!

Some more examples of our stupid rules, and dumbing down here.......

We have social housing here...... however, if you are for example eastern european ( those that have just joined the EU ) are now allowed to claim housing rights in the UK......leaving those "native UK" fighting for the same places, and in fact usually standing LESS chance of getting housing.

More and more 18 - 22 yr old women get pregnant, have kids as single mums. By right they automatically get social housing, very few need to work because they can claim government benefits.

Education standards have dropped dramatically in the UK over the last 15 years..... I recently studied for an advanced degree ( Masters ) and part of the open day team buildingwas to pit the 18yr olds against the mature students in a team quiz based on modern as well as old test papers ( effectively your high school exams ). In every case the mature students won......calculus, advanced trig, basic history ( 2nd world war stuff ) and even spelling was non existant. The youngster claimed it wasnt fair cuz we were older and had more "life experience".........However, the questions were all academically based, not based on acquired life knowledge. The lecturers now freely admit that the 1st year of any degree course is used to level everybodies knowledge......i.e bring the 18yds knowledge up from the "high school level" to that required to study at degree level.

Criminal sentences........due to overcrowding, more and more people escape imprisonment. Social sentences, "community service", fines lowered because people cant afford to pay...........Grrrr.

Kids on the streets, at or near dark, in gangs...........parents unable or unwilling to take responsibilty for their kids actions.

Police officers who are afraid to tackle kids incase they are accused of "beating" them up. 12- 16 yr olds now know more about the "law" than the local police. Gangs getting under 12's to do robberies in peoples home cuz they know the kid cannot be prosecuted because they are under age.

Lack of respect for elders and peers....... no school uniforms once in high school because it infringes "human rights to express ones identity"...... calling teachers by their 1st name instead of sir or miss.

Truancy........ Finally parents are now accountable if their child misses school for no apparent reason. They can be fined and imprisoned in severe cases........ However, this course of action is never taken because the parents are usually too poor to pay a fines, and would involve the kids going into care whilst the usually single parent is in prison....even more money paid out by the tax payer........so the kid and the parent gets away with it.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

I could go on all night.

Rest assured you in the US have the same as us brits. In some ways your society is better equipped to handle it though. 3 strikes etc.

It would be a great deterrant here, as would gun toting police officers......although I do like our british bobby, especially if she is female, and i get to use my truncheon........oh the uniform

[Tyger]

Well, I'm sorry that it's like that there too, but, I'm also glad that it's not just us too. LOL Hope that makes sense?

[froggystyle1977]

I agree with most thats been said here I see the problems with my son he has been pushed through school (has had horrible handwriting since kindergarten) and at the same time punishments have been nearly impossible for me because I share custody with his father who never follos through its a struggle ot get him to want to do anything NCLB has caused him way more harm then good and he needs spec ed but can't get it because the rules have changed so he doesn't qualify!! part of me wants to home school him for high school but the rest of me knows I would probably kill him within a week!!!!! so yes we as a society have ruined any chance of the usa staying a superpower there is no point in creating new jobs when the employees don't apprieciate them, its like the issue with immigrants I keep hearing they do jobs Americans won't immigrants do a good job and feel honored to work where alot of americans don't more teens should work the fields and factories!!