My views on the education process

By Carol Karamitsos

The most important relationship in school is the student-teacher relationship. The network of administration built around this relationship functions to provide support and security for the teachers and students.

Curriculum development is a complex process that must include the developmental level of the student, the applicabililty to the intended subject, the open architecture to mold to a particular student group, and the negotiability for the instructor. Curriculum development should not be prejudiced by religion or a morality code.

Class size limits cannot be absolute. Some subjects and student groups may require a low teacher to student ratio while others may not be affected by a high ratio. One example would be a remedial math or reading class compared to a chorus class, the former requiring a much lower ratio than the latter.

Students have a responsibility to respect. This includes oneself, fellow students, teachers and staff, parents and family, their environment, their community, and their education. They do not have the right to forsake this responsibility. Unfortunately, students requiring discipline have shirked this responsibility, many times due to the failing of us adults. I believe adolescents require and desire very prescriptive boundaries and limits. They lack the insight and judgement to make adult decisions. We adults must not shirk our responsibility to teach them by example, maintaining our own integrity. A discipline policy needs to inform the student of the clear set of rules for civilized behavior and the reasonable consequences meted out when those rules are broken. There should be room for some seldom exceptions. People respond better to positive incentives rather than punitive consequences. Behavior modification in the student body should focus on building character and confidence, rather than creating negativism between adults and students. It's best to avoid the strategy of "the beatings will continue until morale improves".

I am a staunch supporter of public education. I think that the development of voucher systems and charter schools is a reaction to the public's perception that the present public system is not meeting their childrens' needs. I think this is founded in reality to a certain extent. I too am disappointed in the elimination of many "elective" courses and in the reduction in art, music, and physical education. As well, I think that schools have had to accept the role of teaching social skills that should be taught primarily in the home, and this detracts from the time spent on educational instruction. But I would like to put my efforts into rectifying problems in and launching higher goals for our existing school system.