Nearly everyone will agree that a good education is essential to get a youngster off to a good start for success in life.
That’s why we devote a large part of our taxes and other efforts to offer good educational opportunities.
Good teachers and administrators make great personal as well as professional efforts to help our boys and girls.
But all of that may go to waste if youngsters just don’t show up at school.
There are laws that require school attendance. There are serious efforts by school authorities and local judges to provide an extra nudge to delinquent parents and children who don’t live up to their personal responsibilities and opportunities in our schools.
But it still is shocking to read in the newspaper that a mother in neighboring Marion County was sentenced by a juvenile court judge to serve 48 hours in jail for not assuring that her child showed up at the second grade class at school.
In Hamilton County, the nine County Commission members have unanimously approved a resolution giving County Mayor Claude Ramsey authority to approve a Juvenile Court plan to require parents of chronically absent school children to pick up trash along our highways.
Surely, no one wants to see any parent sent to jail or sentenced to a roadside trash detail. But school attendance by our youngsters is of such importance that very serious remedial measures are called for.
Our Hamilton County school system reported nearly 20,000 truancy problems last year. Special attention has cut that problem nearly in half so far this year. But obviously, too many truancy problems remain.
You know the old saying that “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” Local judges, school and other governmental authorities are commendably making efforts to be sure that parents get their children to the educational “watering trough.” Taxpayers are forking over large amounts of money to be sure the “water” is there in the school system. Dedicated principals and teachers are trying to do what they can to inspire and teach when students attend. So it is very frustrating when chronic pupil absences still occur.
Parents and children, of course, have the primary responsibility. They are offered opportunities that should not be ignored or wasted.
The goal, of course, is not punishment for delinquent parents or children, but constructive solution for the neglect of educational opportunities.
We want all of our youngsters to succeed in life.
Twice in this editorial we are told that "opportunities" are not just offered to students and their parents but they MUST be taken under threat of "constructive solutions", like going to jail [which we are assured is NOT punishment].
And here I thought "opportunities" were something offered a person to allow him or her to advance in life and better his lot while being free to pick and choose which ones to take advantage of. Silly me.
Punishing parents for a child's misbehavior while not allowing a parent to discipline the child for that same misbehavior is hypocrisy and "1984's Big Brother-ism" at its height.
If it's not the parents responsibility to get children to school, then who's is it? While I believe it would be very difficult to enforce this, especially with older, high school age children who have more freedom and independence at both home and school, someone has to be held accountable when a child chronically doesn't come to school.
I have seen teachers make every reasonable effort to get the children school...phone calls, notes, incentives, home visits...what else should they do? What do you feel would be a more appropriate solution to the truancy problem, rolando?
First and foremost, shutterbug, if the parent is to be held responsible, he/she/they must be allowed to take whatever action THEY feel is appropriate. [No extremes, i.e., welts, bruises, beatings, hair missing and so on, of course.] Too many times parents are accused of child abuse [and counselled] for a simple spanking to make an unruly child behave [bare hand over clothes]. Any time child protective services becomes involved, for right or for wrong, parental control effectively ends -- children are not stupid...they know what they can get away with, especially the "problem" children.
Tying a parent's hands and then holding him/her/them responsible is irresponsible.
I would suggest having a parent call the school each day the student is NOT going to be there. Alternatively, have the parent call the school each day the student WILL be there.
If the student is bussed, the school would be responsible for seeing that the student goes to class once the bus arrives at school -- the bus driver is responsible in between for all passengers...or use parent bus monitors.
Having a parent physically deliver the student to the school and turn him/her over at that point is another alternative. He/She then becomes the school's problem.
If the school wishes to make an issue of truancy, at some point it must assume the responsibility of keeping track of its students. Closing the campus is always possible.
Once true parental irresponsibility is established and the child is NOT deemed uncontrollable, then begin the legal processes, including possible removal of the child from the home.
If the child is deemed uncontrollable, at that point he/she is probably lost in any case, sad as that sounds...a true parental failure. Removal of other children from the home is probably indicated.
Some or all of the foregoing may be impractical, of course...but this is a problem child or uncaring/incompetent parent[s] we are talking about, not the normal child. Exceptional actions are needed...just don't automatically and blindly hold the parent[s] responsible.
I personally feel every parent should be held responsible if their child does not attend school. The parents had not problem bringing the child into this world-- but as time goes on-- it is as if they let the child do as they please. Let the parents go to jail--more the merrier-- maybe it will send a message that if you are a parent of a child you are 100% responsible for that child until age 18 and that includes them attending school!!!
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