Posts Tagged ‘Public Education System’

Literacy is Such a Vital Component in Today’s Society

February 9th, 2010

Literacy and adult education goes hand in hand. Due to failures in the public education system, kids are graduating from high school unable to read or find New York City on a map. The school system has put them out in the real world without sufficient skills to manage their own life. These kids seldom pursue literacy and adult education, becoming resigned to menial jobs with no future.

An impoverished and uneducated population is not good for any of us. Being in a state of poverty with no prospects open in the future also leads to these kids getting into drugs and drug dealing. It simply becomes the point of least resistance. Although they know the consequences of getting caught, they get too into this method of making quick, easy money. Many become addicts along the way. Young, uneducated women may get married early, soon having kids to support which only worsens the situation. Others, with diminished self-esteem, fall into prostitution.

The problem with impoverished families is that, lacking functional literacy creates a cycle of poverty that can go on for generations. Divorce rates among young people with these problems is particularly high, when compared with other age groups with a better education. While there are some free adult education programs, if you can’t read, how will you ever know about them? It seems that it would be a smart idea to be proactive about ending this cycle of poverty.

The current public education system has failed these people. However, the current policies virtually punish these individuals. The young woman, now single, with three kids, is given a welfare payment allotment and is chided to get a job. The amount given is insufficient to afford a living, so that person falls further and further into poverty. What is this young woman to do? Some states will pay for day care, but the process takes 3-4 months for approval. If she doesn’t look for work, because she has to watch her children, she is disqualified to receive her welfare payment. The current policies create a catch-22 situation. Which, unfortunately causes some to begin taking some of the other illegal options, requiring neither literacy or adult education.

A more cost-effective and long term solution lies in funding literacy education programs, rather than simply sustaining the person or family in poverty. Aptitude tests might be administered to determine the natural talents of the individual. Everyone has a talent for some productive work. Pay to educate each individual in a skill that allows them to earn a decent living and those welfare rolls would surely shrink. Were a massive and comprehensive literacy and adult education to be made a primary goal, everyone’s taxes would go down, poverty would decrease and the GDP would grow, increasing the overall prosperity of the entire society. The best result would be the number of lives changed forever, as well as the next generation.

Write your congressional representative and let them know you want to actively promote literacy and adult education programs for those who need it, for the ultimate benefit for all.

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Marbella Schools – Private Education Versus Public Education

January 29th, 2010



Some of the best school in Spain are actually in the Marbella region. But these are private schools and fee costs can be very high indeed. Parents can expect to pay out between 200 euros and 5000 euros each month to have their children study in these schools. Not suprisingly therefore, most of the pupils in these schools are the children of wealthy foreign residents who live along the coast.

Some examples of the best private schools in the province of Malaga and Marbella are:- St Anthony’s College in Mijas Costa, Colegio Salliver in Fuengirola,Sunny View school in Torremolinos, Colegio El Romeral and Sierra Blanca in Malaga city and Colegio Anoreta in Rincon de la Victoria.

Other examples of private schools include:- Benalmadena International College, Colegio Alboran, Calahonda International College, Aloha College and International College San Pedro.

Most of the children and teachers in private school are bi-lingual. The schools offer the best in sporting activities such as horse-riding, sailing, football, cricket, tennis and most of them also offer the British curriculum.

The public schools in the provinces of Malaga and Marbella are attended by the vast majority of children living in those areas but the fact is that, especially in Marbella, there is a relatively large gap between the very rich and the ordinary middle and working classes. The rich can afford to send their children to expensive schools. Sadly, expense ususally means better quality in terms of extra-curricular activities and general facilities (such as computer suites with internet access, swimming-pools, tennis courts).

The great disadvantage of the public schools is the amount of overcrowding. This seems a problem throughout the Western Costa del Sol, whose population has grown way above the national average over recent decades. The public education system has not been able to keep up with this massive growth in pupil numbers and there is therefore an average of 24 pupils per class.

The obvious answer then is to build more schools to acommodate the growing numbers. But the problem is suitable land upon which to build these new schools. The money must be provided by the Town Hall and approved by the Junta de Andalucia. If there is no suitable land on which to build new schools, then invariably more overcrowding will exist and in the end, it is the children who will suffer.

By: Jay Neil

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New Orleans Schools and Education – Let the Rebuilding Begin

January 4th, 2010



New Orleans Schools have had it rough since the recent Hurricane Katrina disaster that destroyed the city. However, rather than roll over and die, New Orleans Schools have taken a very proactive approach in rebuilding the city and education. They believe that the key to rebuilding the city is through education and in order to educate, they’ve created a Recovery School District (RSD) to help those most affected by the hurricane, especially those already under performing before the hurricane hit the city.

How Does the RSD affect New Orleans Schools?

The RSD is committed to making New Orleans Schools a world-class public education system by laying the foundation needed in any school system: student achievement, quality leadership, accountability, and equality. Many questions still surround the RSD in New Orleans Schools. If you’re a parent, though, this should make things easier:

- Number of Schools Open: New Orleans Schools working with the Recovery School District has 58 public schools open in the two years since Hurricane Katrina. These schools are a mixture of public schools and charter schools with at least 20 more opening for the 2007-2008 school year. To meet the rising demand for new schools, modular schools are opening as a temporary solution until permanent facilities can be built. Don’t worry though, if you live more than one mile away from the school your child is supposed to attend, they will provide transportation for your child daily.

- Teacher Shortages: New Orleans Schools are working hard to fill all teacher shortages in every school. The RSD has created a national teacher recruitment campaign that includes trips to major cities as well as radio, print, and television advertisements. New Orleans Schools are encouraging former teachers to return home to their posts and certified teachers to come help make a difference in the lives of everyone in the city. Questions arise, though, as to whether or not New Orleans Schools can meet the needs of their growing number of students.

- How Can I Help? Community involvement is very important to the success of New Orleans Schools and they encourage all to attend the planning meetings associated with the building of new schools. They also encourage all to volunteer in building any new long term facility, landscape, paint, or even set up classrooms. The more helping hands that those in New Orleans Schools receive, the better off they will be.

Overall, with the help of the RSD, the helping hands of friends and neighbors, and a little time, New Orleans Schools are sure to succeed in their long term goal of making their schools world-class. By educating their students they are ultimately educating the entire city, which is what they desperately need to survive.

By: Patricia Hawke

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