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April 23, 2008
Editorials
Point/Counterpoint Homeschooling rocks BY MAAHUM CHAUDHRY Homeschooling is a blessing for those who see public schools as inadequate. In a time of severe budget cuts and with American education clearly behind the rest of the world, many parents find homeschooling a smart choice to ensure that their child doesn’t end up a dunce. Homeschooling isn’t just for those struggling in school or for religious reasons, although those are cases in which parents decide to home school. If a child isn’t doing well in school, homeschooling might help them. Some kids have trouble grasping new ideas, but given enough time and attention, which homeschooling allows, they can learn a lot more than they would at the fast-paced style most schools teach in. This doesn’t only apply to those who don’t do well in school. A significant amount of children are homeschooled because their classmates couldn’t keep up with them. By setting their own pace, they learn more than their peers. As for religious reasons, I think a better term would be that parents choose to home school their kids for moral reasons. They don’t want their children influenced by the “bad kids” at school. Many parents would rather keep their kids at home than expose them to the crazy world of drugs and alcohol, which every high school has. Of course, the benefits of homeschooling also depend on those teaching the child. The more time and effort a parent puts into educating their child, the better the results. True, kids who are homeschooled have more spare time, but they can use that time wisely. I know of a family that homeschooled their kids and who used their spare time to volunteer in the community and spend more time studying to skip grades. In other cases, those who are homeschooled use their time to pursue other activities, such as art and music. This helps them to become more skilled than their peers. Homeschooling offers a lot of opportunities for kids, but it just depends on exercising homeschooling to its fullest potential. e-mail: maahum.chaudhry@theguardsman.com Homeschooling is risky BY CHRISTINA R. HERNANDEZ An article by Beverly Hernandez at About.com titled “Is Homeschool for You?” said, “If you can read and write, you should be able to teach your children.” I’m sorry, but this scares me. It takes more than that to be a good teacher. All parents want the best for their children, but unless they are qualified to give their children a well-rounded education, homeschooling is not the way. It takes a parent with a strong educational background, experience and willingness to provide their child with an array of ideas. In an ideal situation, parents would have taken courses in education and child psychology before and throughout the duration of their children’s homeschooling. The parents of homeschooled children must sacrifice a significant amount of their personal time. Homeschooling can also infringe on time needed for work, cutting into their income. For parents who are not financially well-off or who are students themselves this can be a real strain. In certain cases homeschooling can teach children a narrower perception of the world. Children can’t recognize this on their own, so how will they adapt when presented later with ideas or perspectives that differ from those taught to them by their guardians? Homeschooled children may have a harder time learning to think for themselves, becoming too dependent on their parents. This can hinder social development. A homeschooled child would not have the opportunities to socialize with others like public or private-schooled children. A public school education isn’t perfect, but there is more structure backed by the efforts of many who have extensively studied education and children. Public schooling does not mean the parents have no influence on their child’s education. After school, it’s important that parents talk with their children about what they’re learning. email: christina.hernandez@theguardsman.com
Singed by the Torch BY MARIA UMANZOR EDITOR The flame burning in the hearts of thousands who gathered to watch the journey of the Olympic torch in San Francisco was doused in response to the games being held in Beijing. Those waiting along the advertised torch route were eager to protest against the human rights violations by China or simply wanted to enjoy the spectacle. Both groups were equally denied. Because of demonstrations in London and Paris against the Olympic torch run, Mayor Gavin Newsom and the San Francisco Police Department feared possible conflicts among protesters and took action. Protesters wanted to defend human rights of people in Chinese-occupied Tibet, but the protests have been overwhelming. Newsom decided to shorten the route for “safety” reasons. The problem is that he made the decision once the Olympic torch was already traveling along the advertised route where people were already gathered. This upset many, but still avoided any anticipated violence. How is it the Olympic torch can create so much controversy and chaos? The Olympic torch is, historically known as a “symbol of peace,” ironically to protest against violence. However, this year’s torch tour has overshadowed this symbolism. Sadly, the torch run in San Francisco — its only stop in North America — will probably be remembered as an unsatisfying public event instead of a great privilege and true honor. email: editorials@theguardsman.com Decrease the Drop-out Rate for Posterity BY ANTHONY MYERS EDITOR The drop-out rate for California high school students is approximately 150,000 per year, and it seems the state is powerless to bring it down. Like so much in life, it comes down to economics. Only half of the students in the nation’s 50 largest cities graduate from high school. San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland have, respectively, a 73.1 percent, 77.1 percent and 45.6 percent graduation rate. So students drop out and some get jobs. That might be OK for the local tax base, but those same students aren’t doing themselves any favors. Anyone considering dropping out should at least talk to a few adults before making a decision. Students often have a mindset of “I know what I’m doing” and “Grown-ups don’t care about that stuff.” Sometimes, it’s difficult for young people to have perspective because of their inexperience. Plenty of resources are available for students who doubt their academic ability or distrust adults about what is best for their lives. Dropping out seems attractive to young people because of lack of success or desire — that is not unusual. Plenty of adults have dropped out and gone on to great success. But many people also work two jobs while attending community college and try to make up for lost time. Dropping out might work for those fortunate enough to have parents with deep pockets, but most dropouts come from poor families. If you want to earn more money, you must have a higher education. You don’t need an advanced degree, but some education beyond high school will show employers that you are someone who isn’t afraid of work. Even though schoolwork may seem tedious and out of context, it can really help you in your job search and can impact your ability to get along with your co-workers. Students will continue to drop out until the state helps those in most need. We should be investing in education, job counseling and literacy. email: calendar@theguardsman.com All I Can Do Is Write About It BY DOMINIK MOSUR EDITOR We need a law requiring an acre of open space per person. We could lump these open spaces together into larger areas so that every neighborhood has a park where people can go unwind and reconnect with their roots. A little dose of stewardship and nature in its resiliency would soon fill these parks with plant, insect and bird life. There are some open spaces left in the Visitacion Valley, on the Brisbane side of the San Francisco/San Mateo county line. This area was a maintenance yards for trains, before rail was dethroned by the upstart car as the preferred mode of transport. In the 40 years that these yards have been abandoned, wildlife has repopulated them. The ponds there are home to the largest population of Pacific tree frogs anywhere near San Francisco. The three-spined stickleback, a federally protected fish lives there as well. Coyotes sleep in the thickets and hunt black-tailed jackrabbits at night. Unfortunately, this area is going to be developed in the next couple of years. What is now wildlife habitat will soon be roads, business parks and probably another subdivision of cookie-cutter houses. This unique slice of Bay Area natural history will become like the rest of the North Peninsula lowlands, a concrete jungle of sprawl that sucks all life from the earth. Another opportunity for the local children to learn about harmony and cohesion, which can best be observed in a natural area, will be lost. I bet if you talk to some of the guys in prison you won’t find too many who spend their childhood looking at birds and butterflies. email: chiefcopy@theguardsman.com On The Record What course would you like to
Teddy Dacanay, 19 “A boxing class would be good at City College. It would be more convenient for me to take it here, instead of traveling.”
Aidan Mccarthy, 19 “I’d like to see a shirt design class or classes on the program Adobe Illustrator. I have a few designs and my buddy has a screen printing press.”
Kim Repetto, 19 “I would love to see a class on activism against the Iraq War, because I think City College students need it as well as other people.”
Bruce Huang, 23 “I’d like to see more Asian, African, Indian and cultural art. I want to see more competition in terms of art classes.”
Lauren Douthit, 20 “Strip-aerobics: an exercise art that helps your stomach and physique.”
Brandon Valdez, 19 “I’d like to see a ‘Sneakerology 101’ class, partially for fashion. I read about a course offering the study of the effect on culture and of its history.”
Richard Estrada, 22 “I want to see a sociology of urban communities class. I was going to take it in Diablo Valley College, but I moved down here and couldn’t find it offered.” BY HENRY REYES |
