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Tuesday, May 6, 2014

A Short Overview Of The Problems With Public Education

By Essie Osborn


It is interesting to note that every successful society boats a sophisticated and advanced educational system. Most parents realize that the best way to ensure the future of their children is to enroll them at the best school possible. These days, however, problems with public education seem to make the headlines almost weekly. Teachers, parents and other concerned citizens say that the system is failing society as a whole.

One of the biggest challenges to the teaching fraternity has been to recruit suitable potential teachers. Applications for this career have plummeted and many experienced teachers are leaving the profession. This poses a very large challenge to the system. There are simply not enough teachers and experienced teachers are in extremely short supply. If this trend continues the issue may just become critical.

Maintenance is another huge challenge. Many teachers and learners are forced to deal with rundown buildings and amenities that do not work properly. It seems as if the budgets simply do not make provision for the proper upkeep of school buildings, sports facilities and the equipment that are vital to any educational facility. This leads to demotivation and even vandalism and trespass.

Government schools are falling behind private schools simply because they do not have the resources to keep up with the latest technology, teaching aids and equipment. Many government schools do not even offer their students online access. They struggle to keep within their budgets and teachers often have to manage very large classes that are not designed for so many pupils. This inevitably results in poor quality education.

Experts agree that one of the biggest challenges facing schools is the serious lack of discipline. It is no longer just a matter of learners not doing their homework. Many schools have experience violence by some of their learners. Some teachers even admit to be scared of some of their students. No school can hope to offer a quality curriculum if the student body is not disciplined and willing to learn.

Many schools suffer because parents do not involve themselves. Parents play an important role in matters such as fund raising, discipline and the motivation of learners. Teachers need to interact with parents and parents should be part of the school attended by their children. In some cases parents are simply too busy earning a living, but many parents simply cannot be bothered.

It is a sad fact that many learners graduating from government schools do not even contemplate further learning. In some cases their results are too poor to allow them to apply for college admittance and in many other cases they simply do not see the value of getting a college qualification. In this way the problem is perpetuated and the school system suffers even more.

The schooling system plays a vital role in the overall health and wealth of any society. It is in the interest of everybody to make sure that the system works properly, that schools are adequately funded and that teachers are able to do their work in the best possible conditions. The educational system should be one of the highest priorities at all levels of government.




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