by Joanne Smith

Created on: January 19, 2010   Last Updated: January 21, 2010

Being involved in a debate over whether children should have to attend school until the age of eight teen has brought up many discussions regarding why they should be given the choice.  I am a firm believer that where there is a will there is a way.  I was amazed in reading the argument from parents who felt that children should not be forced to be in school if the system does not work for them.  When in life are we given such leniency?  Yes I agree that some children have a terrible time in school for one reason or another, being bullied, needing to work, taking care of ailing parents.  There are hundreds of reasons why our children could find school to be a burden.   I may have taken this in with less hesitation had I not been listening to the reasons from teachers and parents.  “I was called to the school over and over”, “…the children not wanting to be here where a disruption to the rest of the kids”.  Where is the best interest of the child at hand?  When did abandoning their education become a child’s best interest? 

I agree that our education system does not accommodate all learning styles, but it does give parents options for allowing their child to find other ways to learn.  It gives correspondence to allow kids to do the work from home.  Home schooling allows parents to take over the needs of their children, doing it later in the day. Working with the children’s learning abilities.  There are tutors and free resources available through the government and school boards.  Parents and teachers seem quick to eliminate their burden of taking on children who do not fit into societies norm, excusing this neglect as doing what the child wants, for their best interest.

I am sure there are jobs out there right now that kids would make a nice paycheck at for now.  I am sure they will go on to be successful adults, despite not graduating high school.  But what happens when that company moves away or closes down for good, then where do those children go?

High school introduces children to a wide variety of children.  Some are prone to getting into more trouble than others and some are there to learn.  Blaming the school for your child choosing these kids because he is there is absurd. If the people your child is seeking out are the ones getting into trouble it is simply a smoke screen to his own needs.  Look more closely

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