Hw # 39: 1st School Assignment yurrr

Part A: Major Components of School
Students- School differ in student size, diversity and level of intelligence.
Do students take their education for granted compared to children in 3rd world countries who don't have the same opportunities?
How might people and society be different if children were home schooled and parents were left to teach them?
Whats the history of school and why has it evolved to what it is today? How can we improve it for the future?

Teacher Student relationships-


Part B: Going to school is a right of passage for all children. When you hit that glorious age of 5 years old, its time to buy presentable clothing, fill up an oversize backpack with fun new utensils and venture into the educational unknown.
I can imagine that the first day of school is quite frightening to little ones, either for pre-school of kindergarten. As for me, I was lucky enough to have my big sister in the same grade as me so I wasn't going through anything alone. Regardless, the separation between a child and their comfy nurturing homes are difficult .

School is a different experience for all children of all different ages. With each passing year, we grow a little more in height and in intelligence. Its odd to think the power and influence teachers have over children who look to then for guidance in education.
All through elementary school teacher's are looked upon as the experts of the world. Adults who are brilliant and have already memorized all there is a need to know about everything. At least that's what I thought until I realized my 7th grade science teacher was a moron. But regardless, teachers hold an enormous amount of power over youngsters who seek insight into the future from them.

The fellow from East High who visited yesterday said "School helps you make choices for the future and prepares you for the choices you'll have to make in the future."
Well, if that's so then I'd expect some exceptional superiors prepping me for the unknown.

Sometimes I really hate the politics of school. For instance, I hate that private schools are considered more prestigious because they attract elite enrollment unless your a braniac with a scholarship. I hate that all the best teachers go to them. It'd be easy for my to blame my lack of motivation and interest in certain subjects on the teachers who are supposed to keep my engaged and encourage me. But the truth of the matter is that no kids will learn unless their willing to, unless they really want to.

We're so selfish, complaining about the heavy work load or annoyance with an assignment, when children in third world countries would do anything to have the opportunities we have. Kids in china work their asses off all so they can be in the top ranking of their class, go on to a good college and escape the poverty they've grown up with. Education is their golden ticket out, while for the pot head while male living on the upper west side its a time killer between the next orgy beer fest.

Its sickening how much this society takes its education for granted.
Sometimes I wonder how might we be different if we left our parents to teach us at home.
Ali Jo is one of the smartest people I've ever met, the smartest from my generation and she was home schooled until the age of 9 (if I remember correctly). Maybe we'd all be better off just continuing with the knowledge our parents have. How might our society be different then? Would parents do more for their kids, brush up on more math, spend more time getting to know them? Or would we just be ignorant mini- clones of people who already exist?

Wasn't there a time, though, before we had the institution of school. Where it was just a privilege, an HONOR for girls?

Why does socializing continue to be more important then studying and how can we get the next generation to not be so goddamn superficial?