Comments on: The Right To A Free Education

By: Drama Queen

Drama Queen — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 03:05:12 +0000

I have to be careful I don’t start a HUGE rant about this, because I COULD NOT AGREE MORE. What bothers me the most about our school is the lack of funding in one of THE most important departments - special education.

Our local elementary school (and entire district) is very small. I could understand not having the resources for a separate classroom, but the more I think about it, the more I think that’s only half of it. They more or less assign a “helper” to these 1 or 2 kids, and shove them in the regular class. The main problem with this is most special ed kids just don’t learn like the rest, and can get frustrated very easily. Also, the “helper” is paid minimum wage, and not required to have any training what-so-ever. NONE. My son was finally diagnosed with NLD, a form of autism, by people OUTSIDE the school. I pulled him out of school last winter because of how they were mistreating him. He’s SUCH a smart kid, and was spending more time in time out rooms and behind locked doors than he was learning.

I’m honestly starting to think our government just flat out doesn’t care what happens to some of these kids. “No child left behind” is such a joke, it makes me sick. Plus lack of training required makes me VERY mad.

By: river

river — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 09:52:22 +0000

I don’t have any ideas or suggestions, but I do firmly believe that our government is seriously out of touch with the people who voted for them.
Because they themselves have access to huge wages etc, they seem to think everyone else is okay too.
The system sucks.

By: Kelli

Kelli — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 07:54:51 +0000

I also agree with you. My children attend a public primary school & I am hoping that they will attend a public high school as well. Apparently in this state the public primary schools do OK, as do the year 11 & 12 colleges. But for the 4 years of high school many people move their kids to the private system - the repercussions of this are hugs. As more people leave the system, more cuts are made to funding and the further behind the public schools fall. The high school I am thinking of sending my children too is right next door to a big private school. The ovals are adjoined and the difference is startling. The private school has many many green manicure ovals, complete with a white picket fence, even in the middle of the drought. The public school’s oval is ridden with weeds, doesn’t get watered in drought and looks awful - and yet the private school received funding under the BER because it starts at year 4.

By: Kath Lockett

Kath Lockett — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 00:39:06 +0000

Hear hear!
You might want to read this - I wrote it a month or so ago for the Sunday Age - http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/no-need-to-go-the-distance-for-a-good-school-20100918-15h40.html?comments=38#comments

By: Katy

Katy — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 20:37:55 +0000

I completely agree with you. I feel like I’m disadvantaging my children sending them to the local public school, because their funding is so poor compared to the (dozens) of local private schools. So incredibly frustrating!!!

I want to support the public system (probably can’t afford to put 3, now almost 4 children through private schools), but things keep getting cut left-right and centre! Not all things are bad - eg canteen only open for lunch on M/W/F, but now things like the end of year concert being cut….!