Problem Kids in School
Is it the teachers
responsibility to 'discipline' children in school? Should it not
be more the parents responsibility to ensure that their children
behave themselves while at school? When a child misbehaves at
school, instead of the teachers repremanding the child, oft times
leading to suspension, what if a parent had to chaperone that
child at school. In many families, both parents work. Too bad.
It's your child, and your responsibility, you take the time off
and accompany him or her to school, wait in the hall while class
is on, and monitor their behavior while at school. Education is
far too important to be disrupted by unruly children. Far too
important for the 'disruptor' and the others in class. Educators
should not have to be the police at school. Discipline is the
parents job. It's time to force parents to take more
responsibility for their children, at school and on the street.
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Runaways
At what point does the
parent's resonsibility for their children cease? At what point
does a child become independent from his or her family? The
financial burden of supporting a minor should be the parents; not
the state. Before a minor can claim social assistance, they
should be required to disclose all imformation about where they
come from and co-operate in resolving the matters which led them
to leave home. At which point the parents should have to pay all
costs of supporting that child and costs of re-uniting the child
back with the family. Social service resources would be better
spent in helping families in conflict, rather than supporting
seperation.
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Conscription
Would it be feasable to
set up another branch of 'military' service designed primarily to
intervene in matters of juvenile delinqency? Schooling and
discipline seem to be the two main factors governing a childs
future. If there was a junior branch of service that was social,
not military orientated, to which all youth had to serve a
minimum time, we just may be able to head off many criminal
behavior patterns in the future. Run as a semi 'boot camp', in
which continuing education and service to community would be
mandatory. There could be live at home service time for those who
are already continuing their education, and camp for those who
find it difficult to live at home or stay in school. Many years
ago, I worked at a detention home for boys. So many of these
youths, aged 12 to 14, after serving their 'sentence', just
before their release date, would runaway, go downtown and wait
for the police to pick them up, knowing that they would be given
another six months or so in detention. They preferred the 'home'
to being sent back to their parents. They relished the
discipline. I'm not advocating detention home jails for problem
kids, but I do believe we need a program of some sort in which
youths can further develope into productive members of society.
All too often the environment in which children are raised, adds
nothing towards security and hope for the future. How best can
there be intervention on their behalf?
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Revolving Door Jails
There is no doubt about
it, our jails are full. The costs of keeping prisoners in jail is
very high. Even though the percentage of prisoners per population
is decreasing, the overall costs of operating prisons is on the
rise. Can't help but wonder; is the per population factor due to
less crime, to prisoner reform policies, or to shorter sentences,
or short terming sentences? Are prisons meant to be a deterrent
to crime, or a place of punishment for doing the crime? I
searched the web for statistics which would support any one line
of thought on crime prevention, prisonor rehabilitation, prison
programs, etc.; but couldn't find any hard evidence supporting
any one direction that prison 'officials' or legislation should
take. One fact still remains and that is peoples perception of
our justice systems in near all countries, and that is that it is
failing to protect the citizens. If they are failing; is most of
that failure due to costs? The failure to provide adequate
resources so that the justice system and prisons can do the job
they are supposed to do; that being - protect the citizens.
Isn't it about time we all recognized the relationship
between our social policies and inequality that exists in our
society. We allocate more money for prisons each year and yet cut
funding for education. Many of our policies prevent the poor from
recieving the training and education that is needed to bring them
out of poverty. So much of our tax structure benifits the rich to
the detriment of the poor and middle class. Is this the freedom
which our constitutions are meant to guarantee? Without
hope, democracy becomes a faded reality.
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Helping the Street Kids
and Homeless
Many storeowners and
buisnesses complain of the panhandlers, who, seem to be almost
every- where in all urban communities. With no source of income,
many of these people are forced to beg for money. Many people,
and I'll admit, myself included, don't like to be 'harrassed' by
people asking for money. Although I would rather they did not
come up to my vehicle, I have to admire the initiative taken by
squeegie kids. At least they are doing something moral for the
money. Not that begging in itself is immoral. Heres an idea. Each
city block on average has 8 buisiness fronts and, most often,
above street offices or buisinesses. If each contributed toward a
daily fund of, depending on the city, $30 to $40, and that fund
was paid out to whomever was willing to sweep the block; the
streets would be swept daily, the number of panhandlers could be
reduced, the homeless who participated would be earning their
money, all contributing to an increase in patronage on that
block, resulting in increased revenues for the buisinesses. All
for a tax deductable sum of between $30 and $120 per mo. A
designate buisiness would put up the chit each morning. and
whoever claimed it first would be handed a cleaning cart with
broom and bag, and when they returned after cleaning they would
recieve their pay. It wasn't too very long ago that each
storefront was responsible for keeping the sidewalks clean.
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What are Your Thoughts?
