| Unfortunately, public schools, even in the | | | | |
| "best" neighborhoods, can harm our kids in | | | | 9. Many public schools subject children to |
| many ways. Here's a list of 15 ways public | | | | drugs, bullies, violence, and values many |
| schools can hurt children (and parents): | | | | parents disapprove of. |
| | | | |
| 1. Public schools cripple millions of | | | | 10. Public schools pressure many parents who |
| children's ability to read by using the | | | | have bright, normal children to give their |
| "whole-language" instruction method (now | | | | kids potentially dangerous mind-altering |
| called "balanced reading instruction" by many | | | | drugs to make the bored kids "behave" in |
| public schools). | | | | class. Over four million allegedly "unruly" |
| | | | kids line up for Ritalin every day in public |
| 2. Many public schools spend almost 50 | | | | schools across America. Methylphenidate (sold |
| percent of the school day on non-academic | | | | as Ritalin) and cocaine are both listed in |
| subjects that waste children's precious time. | | | | "Schedule II" of the U.S. Drug Enforcement |
| The rest of their time is spent on classes | | | | Agency's Controlled Substances Act (CSA). |
| such as sex-education, personal safety, | | | | |
| consumer affairs, AIDS education, | | | | 11. Public schools are compulsory. They |
| save-the-environment, family life, study | | | | therefore violate parents' natural and |
| halls, multiculturalism, homeroom, electives, | | | | constitutional right to control the education |
| counseling, or sports activities. | | | | of their children. Public school authorities, |
| | | | whose salaries we pay with our taxes, force |
| 3. Public schools teach "new" or "fuzzy" math | | | | parents to hand over their children to |
| (sometimes called by different names). These | | | | government employees called teachers and to |
| instruction methods can cripple children's | | | | schools that give an inferior education. |
| ability to learn basic arithmetic. Students | | | | |
| who fear math are less likely to pursue good | | | | 12. Public schools can destroy children's |
| careers like computer science and engineering | | | | love of learning and self-confidence as |
| that depend on a love of and competence with | | | | learners. This can cripple children's |
| math. | | | | ambitions and desire to go to college. This |
| | | | in turn, can force these children to end up |
| 4. These schools force children to read | | | | with low-paying jobs for the rest of their |
| dumbed-down textbooks in English, History, | | | | lives if and when they graduate high school. |
| and many other subjects. The textbooks are | | | | |
| often geared to the slowest learners in the | | | | 13. Public schools force millions of |
| class and water-down the subject matter. | | | | Christian parents to hand over their children |
| Dumbed-down classes based on dumbed-down | | | | to public schools which are decidedly |
| public-school textbooks therefore waste | | | | anti-Christian. For example, many social |
| children's precious time. This is especially | | | | studies textbooks used in public schools have |
| true for children who are quick learners, who | | | | censored out references to such words as |
| must endure 12 years of excruciating boredom | | | | 'family,' 'marriage,' 'religion,' 'fidelity,' |
| in public school classes. | | | | etc. Many textbooks today refer to a family |
| | | | simply as people choosing to live together. |
| 5. Public schools force children to study | | | | |
| subjects they might hate, can't learn, will | | | | 14. Public schools force children to witness |
| never use in their lives, or which bore them. | | | | sometimes shocking or obnoxious sexual |
| For example, many public schools force | | | | material in sex-education classes, without |
| students to study a foreign language. | | | | parents' knowledge or consent. |
| Children learn better when they study | | | | |
| subjects that interest them. | | | | 15. The public-school near monopoly and |
| | | | compulsory-attendance laws cripple parents |
| 6. Author John Gatto, in his book "Dumbing Us | | | | right and ability to choose a quality, |
| Down" said that a child eager to learn can | | | | low-cost school in an education free-market |
| learn to read, write, and do basic arithmetic | | | | that has been squashed by the public-school |
| in about 100 hours. Yet our public schools | | | | monopoly. |
| keep children locked up for 12 years, yet can | | | | |
| barely teach millions of kids to read. | | | | Parents should consider taking their kids out |
| | | | of public school permanently. Parents can |
| 7. Public schools force parents to pay heavy | | | | take advantage of quality, low-cost education |
| school taxes for an inferior, often | | | | alternatives available to them right now, |
| mind-numbing education for their children. | | | | such as the new Internet private schools that |
| | | | have low tuition costs. |
| 8. Public schools are a government-controlled | | | | |
| near-monopoly. Bad schools don't close down | | | | Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst, |
| because compulsory taxes prop them up. | | | | and author of "Public Schools, Public Menace: |
| Incompetent or mediocre teachers aren't fired | | | | How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray |
| because tenure laws protect them. That's why | | | | Our Children." |
| public schools will never improve and will | | | | |
| always waste children's precious time. | | | | Article Copyrighted © 2005 by Joel Turtel. |