Pubdate: Wed, 31 Dec 2003
Source: Alliston Herald (CN ON)
Copyright: 2003 Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing
Contact:  http://www.simcoe.com/sc/alliston/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2224
Author: Anna Plesums

STUDENTS NEED TO EARN THEIR RIGHTS

Steven J. Days' letter last week made me think what is our goal in sending 
children to school? Our ancestors learned reading and what to expect of 
life from the first book -- the Bible. There was a story about one lost 
sheep, the shepherd went looking for it.

What do we do today when one of our children get on the wrong road? We want 
to make lawsuits against the people -- namely the school boards and police 
- -- who try to get them back on the good road.

You say that children are entitled to personal freedom and rights. First 
they have to learn what their freedoms and rights are. It certainly isn't 
using drugs and enticing other children to try them. They are only 
children. Even so, some of them might think they know more than the adults 
who set up their education to cope with adulthood.

How come they don't learn from their parents how hard they have to work for 
money children are getting. There are few who earn it themselves. Allowance 
has never been a right. Rights had to be earned -- always.

Everyone has to crawl before they can walk (or handle their money wisely).

We should be grateful that the police and the school board are trying to 
correct the mistakes the children are making, without parents noticing.

Everything has a consequence, including childhood mistakes. Remember there 
is such a thing as self responsibility, which some parents forget and try 
and unload it onto teachers and other supervisory persons.

Personality is within, not in outside popularity -- particularly in daring 
to do the inappropriate things.

I suggest you control your own inside values before you make lawsuits for 
those who try to correct what you missed.

Anna Plesums,
Egbert
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart