Telling it like it is !

The principal of Calare Public school in Orange is  taking flak from both the Education department and enraged parents over a satirical staff newsletter he wrote.  In it he vents against the impossible tasks teachers face trying to educate kids who lack the faintest notion of civility or who have experienced any form of discipline in their home upbringing.  For many, there is no such thing as " bed time " nor do the family eat meals together.  In many homes the kids rule the roost to the point that their parents are actually scared to issue even a mild caution - and regular school attendance is little more than a joke !

This newsletter also takes aim at the restrictive policies of the education authorities.   He terms the mental health programme forced on schools as " Operation Nut Case " and suggests that many parents should ask themselves " Have you bred a moron ? "   He is certainly scathing on the worst qualities of the kids he is forced to try and give a good education - referring to some as " two headed and web footed " and others as " Morons - Nut cases - and Village Idiots ".

He was - perhaps - a little extreme, but his tirade certainly had repercussions.   Some enraged parents withdrew their children from the school and the Education department forced him to apologise.  Many who deplore the bedlam that exists in the public school system will be delighted that at least one principal has had the courage to " tell it like it is " - and cop the flak for being  " politically incorrect "  !

Public education varies wildly on the basis of where each school is located.    A school in a suburb where few are unemployed and salary levels are at least average will probably have a majority of civilized kids with reasonable manners.  That will attract better quality teaching staff and as a result it will deliver high educational standards.

A school in a " skid row " district will have exactly the opposite effect.  Any kid that really wants an education will face disruption from the type of students this Calare principal describes.  Insolence and disruptive behavior will make quality teaching impossible, and that level of school will face difficulty recruiting staff.   In many cases, parent support will be indifferent and this level of school turns out uneducated young people who are virtually unemployable - and who go on to breed the next generation to continue this cycle.

Unfortunately, nothing is likely to change anytime soon.  We have parents that refuse to impose standards on their kids and kids who are so out of control that they barely live in the same home, let alone obey any form of rules.  They are not interested in gaining an education - and they will actively sabotage any attempt to force one on them.   It seems that our education system is complicit in trying to corral disruptive types into " bad " schools - to free  the other schools to deliver at least a basic education across the broad spectrum.

Housing selection is fast becoming the big issue when it comes to family planning.  Those planning a family would do well to carefully research school standards before choosing where to live, and it may be better to forego home ownership and stick with renting if educating children tops the priority list.





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