Let’s reflect on our school days. The minister was the most respected person in our communities and the teachers were second. If you attempted to question the actions of a teacher in my house, my parents would state the teacher has been to college not you, and that was the end of that conversation. There was absolute respect for the teachers and if the situation called for it you would be disciplined physically and if your parents found out you, would get physically disciplined again. It was almost a rare occasion when one of your parents came to school, usually to check on a son.
In the total of 48 years that my three brothers and sister and I spent in the public school system my parents only came a total of three times. Our parents would ask about homework and knew when report cards were coming out. There was a report card I received an E in physics and my father until the day he died had no idea what physics was, but he clearly understood I received a failing grade. He only asked two questions how many in the class and did any of the others pass? My response was 24 students and most of them had received a passing grade. He simply said, “then you will pass and no more outside activities until this E disappears,“ and he was serious. In my house my parents were staunch advocates of education and they would constantly stress that if you get an education “they can’t take that away.” Disruptive students were few and far between in our school years. There were a few bullies but there were always those of us who bullied the bullys.
OUR CHILDREN, they challenged the teachers and the overall educational process. In my children’s school I was active in the PTA, although I was the only man. In Fifth Avenue High School the students who aspired to attend college often were not afforded an opportunity because of the lack of college preparatory courses. However, I recall when a number of students challenged the school and demanded that calculus and other courses that they needed for college be taught, and they were successful. Yes our children were somewhat different than we were, but we were different than our parents. In our generation dad and mom were in charge, but some of our children now appeared to be in charge.
GRANDCHILDREN, they now are in some kind of school at 4 years old and younger. In days gone by children’s behavior could overwhelmingly be corrected by a strong hand or strong actions, but now society does not condone a strong hand they now resort to psychology or medicine. I have asked and been asked when did the need for medicine take over in our children’s life? When did we begin to allow our children and grandchildren to be in charge of the house? Our children and grandchildren have done well by today’s standards of materialism but they have along way to go if they are to equal or exceed that which their parents and grandparents have accomplished.
(Louis “Hop” Kendrick is a weekly contributor to the Forum Page.)
