Friday, September 12, 2008

Why Are School-Age Boys Struggling? | Newsweek Education | Newsweek.com

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157898/output/comments This is what I have been saying for a long time.   They say one out of five parents are concerned enough about their behavioral or emotional health that they take them to see a doctor or health professional.  But they also say one out of ten girls.  To me that number is still high for girls.  So I really don't think it's just a boy thing.  What I have been saying about schools is they don't let the kids be kids.  They are too worried about test scores that it is no longer about the children. 

More and more schools are now not only getting rid of P.E., Art and Music classes but also getting rid of recess or limiting the games they can play on the playground.  Games like Tag and Dodge Ball are no longer allowed because of fear of being sued.

My personal belief has been that schools don't let the kids be kids.  I know not all schools are like this but the sad fact is a lot are.  They expect the children to just sit still and learn all day long with hardly any breaks in between.  Then they send them home sometimes with hours worth of homework.  Then you have some parents who have the poor children over scheduled with extra curricular activities.  Now I am not saying they shouldn't have extra curricular activities but (again this is my personal opinion) I don't think they need to have their whole day planned out.  I believe kids need to run around and just be kids.  Children really do learn a lot through play.  Anything from learning how to share to figuring out how to work out a conflict with each other. 

I am not saying children shouldn't be able to sit down quietly and learn but I think they also need time to just run and have fun.  Being in the sun (natural lighting) and getting exercise  is beneficial for learning.

I am by no means an expert and I don't claim to be. This has just been on my mind since I read this article and wanted to put my thoughts down.

Why Are School-Age Boys Struggling? | Newsweek Education | Newsweek.com

5 comments:

CFC Flames '04 said...

The boys friends who go to school around here only get one 15 minute recess. Which can be taken away if they don't get through all the subjects they need to before recess time. 15 minutes for lunch too - that's just crazy.

Anonymous said...

I think there is another problem, that doesn't have anything to do with schools... A lack of discipline in the home. Parents just won't discipline their kids anymore. They want to be the kids "friends", instead of their parent... I have a nephew that gets away with murder, and his parents just sit there and ignore his outburts while he yells at them that he doesn't like them, etc. *sigh*

Jody said...

I have to agree with you there Julie. There are parents that don't really parent their kids. I have known a few parents like that and it's starts like that since their children were old enough to disliplin and yet they never do just sad.

Unknown said...

I totally agree and this type of enviornment only adds to disruptive behavior. I also agree with Julie about the lack of discipline in the homes as well as the lack of respect.

Kids should be kids.

Ruth said...

Excellent observations, Jody and Ellen.
Kids need to be kids, within the boundaries that their parents set.

I'm working on getting those boundaries set properly...

Here in Germany, kids still seem to have a lot of freedom. I see them at the playground for hours, they get out around 1.00 from school, and homework is not as excessive as it is in other countries.
Formal school starts when they turn 6. Kindergarten is basically an introduction to school, where they learn to be in a classroom, they do crafts and activities, and play is more structured.

Still, I think that parents (and the system) are putting too much pressure on children. Our societies are too competitive.
Yet, it's worse in China!