Oprah is getting all kinds of flak for opening her school in South Africa and in some respects maybe they are right, but she is right, too.
Kids in this country are so in to material things. Oprah got frustrated with the way kids in the US think these days. "I became so frustrated with visiting inner-city schools that I just stopped going. The sense that you need to learn just isn't there," she says. "If you ask the kids what they want or need, they will say an iPod or some sneakers. In South Africa, they don't ask for money or toys. They ask for uniforms so they can go to school." I don't think she could be more right.
Our children have the opportunity to go to school free of charge, save the taxes we pay. Even that is not good enough for some. I have neighbors who feel that our public schools are below them, so they send them to private schools. See, that's the point. If it costs, it must be better. That is the message that those parents are sending their children, and it's the message that Oprah is tired of listening to.
Our children need to understand that an education is their ticket to the success of their future. They need to stop worrying about what the kid next to them in class is wearing or what kind of car their parents drive. If they had the attitude that the children in South Africa have, they might be getting a little attention from Oprah, too.
3 years ago
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They need to stop worrying about what the kid next to them in class is wearing or what kind of car their parents drive. If they had the attitude that the children in South Africa have, they might be getting a little attention from Oprah, too.
I totally agree!! That's why I like the idea of school uniforms. I know that I am one that would lean more toward private than public school but only because of the quality of education, not the pricetag. However, as I am finding out, private does not always equal better...by a long shot.
I think it's cool Oprah did this. She earned the money, let her spend it like she wants. At least she's not blowing it like the Paris Hiltons of the world seem to.
I love school uniforms. My boys wear uniforms to their middle school and I think they should have to in high school.
But you know, I think the quality of education is fine in public schools. I think it is whether or not the kids want to learn. If kids don't want to learn, they aren't going to do it in public or private schools.
I think that the administration of our schools needs to be changed and the focus put back on education and not on all the extra crud that they have to deal with.
Stop worrying about whether the schools are racially balanced and get back to making sure the kids are learning in the school they are in. I have never believed the the building the kids are in has anything to do with whether or not they are learning. I think it has to do with the teachers and the desire. Yeah, we can use some new facilities, but does that really make the learning better? I don't think so.
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