Brown versus The Board of Education of Tokepa, Kansas was a historic decision when it was signed back in 1954. But almost 52 years later, we Americans find ourselves dealing with a public education system that seems to be ill-equipped to prepare our children for the rigors of tomorrow. Granted, we want our children to learn their A-B-C's and 1-2-3's in diverse classrooms, but, in the words of ABC News Correspondent John Stocell, with the passage of time, we're becoming more stupid in America, and our public education system shares most of the blame.
But I don't think the problem rests solely with the public education system. I think much of the blame falls on parents who through their words contend that the success of their children is paramount but their actions say something entirely different. The latter group of parents is consumed with making large amounts of money just to keep up with the Jones'. They are oblivious to the wants and needs of their children, believing the hardest jobs as parents were completed when their children were completed when their children matriculated out of primary school, or grades K through 5. While children in grades 6 though 12 are better able to fend for themselves, I believe it behooves us parents to continue in the role of first teacher. To do nothing is to give the souls of our children over to a consumer market that cares very little about how smart our children are. It's all about the almighty dollar, what our children are willing to spend to own their products.
There are a number of companies that have created products that add excitement to the process of learning. The two companies that come to my mind are Leapfrog and V-Tech. While I applaud their efforts, noting that my three-year-old son own a number of their products, I think back to my primary and secondary school days. During the late 60s and early 70s, these companies weren't even on the corporate map. Sure, we had educational products, but I was more interested in playing football on my handheld computer or playing Pac-Man on my Atari Game System. Because my focus was on entertainment rather than education, my grades suffered. Ultimately, I, and many of my peers, placed less of a premium on education, more on having fun.
If we are to help future generations of American improve their education, we need to first remind them about why they need an education in the first place. I've heard a number of children say they don't need algebra or any number classes due to their chosen profession, but they need to know that knowledge is power. The more you have, the better the opportunities that will be presented to you. Once they embrace this message, though, they have to do the little things that are required to soak up information from formal and informal educational channels.
But doing the little things is difficult for some. These some allow negative peer dynamics to steer them off course. I could probably write a book about the number of students I've worked with that attributed their poor academic performance to following the wrong crowd. I have been quick to tell them that they need to think about themselves, their own futures, but many just disregard my instruction, preferring to learn these lessons the hard way. Some of these members of the younger generation got addicted to alcohol and drugs. Others, mainly the females, had sex with guys, only to discover that they were pregnant. They thought that getting pregnant would solidify their relationships with these guys. But most of the guys didn't want to have anything to do with the young ladies after finding out they were pregnant. These guys were too busy moving on to the next female on their hit list.
Prosperity does indeed await thouse individuals who give themselves wholly to formal and informal instruction. Not prosperity measured in dollars and cents, but the kind of prosperity that comes with knowing you have the knowledge to make educated decisions about the course of your life. My hope is that future generations will make decisions that allow them to take care of themselves, their future spouses and their children, that they won't know what it is like to have to struggle just to make ends meet.