A criticism that I have read from a few bloggers and from personal experience is that I don't believe programs such as cosmetology, band, and athletics should not be completely cut out. The high school that I went to has now cut the cosmetology program in order to save money for the school district. I don't believe this is a good idea because I don't believe school and college is for everyone. The kids that are involved with these programs need to have a career in something and by taking cosmetology away, that takes away more opportunities for high school kids to have a career. I don't believe athletics and sports programs should be taken away because of the life lessons involved with sports. Being on a team teaches self-discipline and how to work with other people and those are life lessons you need in life.
Texas should get rid of textbooks. Costs of textbooks are ridiculously high for both K-12 and college students. As a college student, I used to spend at least $300 on textbooks each semester but that has improved a little since you can rent them now. Students in elementary and secondary schools that lose their textbooks cost taxpayers thousands of dollars each year. The five year bill for Central Texas came out to be $340,000 for textbooks. The middle school I went to had a class set of textbooks and each student had their own set of textbooks to take home. I think that is unnecessary that the school has that many textbooks for each student to have two copies. With the technology out there now, schools should be able to develop a new way to get textbooks like electronic books. With online textbooks, schools won't have to keep purchasing new editions of the textbooks because it is easier to have access to the newest information electronically.
Hi Vivian,
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with you that students should have to pay for riding the bus. I grew up in a poor neighborhood and have seen that the only way students can attend school is through the bus system. Their parents often go to work before school even open, and come home after school lets out. Therefore, without free buses, many students will not be able to attend school.
Also, I do believe that giving a student a textbook to bring home and having a copy at school is not such a bad idea either. Textbooks are often heavy and young children tend to be forgetful. If they had to carry a textbook to and from school, there is a higher chance that the will either lose or damage the textbook beyond usable condition.
However, I do agree with you about cutting schools' extracurricular activities. According to a survey from the Pacific Symphony Orchestra in Orange County, California, cutting an extracurricular activity is a form of cultural suicide. In the article, the main topic focused around musical programs at school, but its' argument can be seen in other programs as well. The article shows that the orchestra program at a school is filled with students from different ethnic backgrounds. Not only that, extracurricular activities also gives the student a sense of accomplishment and raises their self-esteem. This is a really important part of a child's development cycle. Another important lesson that students in these activities learn is teamwork. Teamwork is something that must be learned at a young age. If a child is independent all his/her life, then it is seen that they have trouble adapting to society later on in life.
I have personally been involved and seen the benefits of working together with other students and the feeling of accomplishment. Extra curricular activities promotes and nurtures these skills in students at a young age and I believe that it the product of these activities is irreplaceable in the school system. Removing these programs will most definitely hinder a student's social progress.