As a former teacher who has taught in both middle and high school, I can confidently tell you that many American schools are no longer in the business of creating good citizen, but are in the business of keeping their jobs against bad American parents. Many of these teachers are so scared of bad parents that they are totally powerless against their children. Whenever a bad student continue to do the wrong things, many teachers just turn the other cheek in tears because they will be blamed for the misbehavior. In fact, principals have been known to challenge and question teacher’s teaching techniques, class management skills, and understanding of various learning styles whenever teachers report the situation. Instead of challenging parents to be more responsible and finding a way to make parents liable for raising bad children, the American system (legal and school systems) turns the pressure on the teachers. If that is the only job the teacher has, then she has to choose between feeding her family and raising disciplined children for the society.
As an American that was raised in the Nigerian school system, the last thing you wanted was to be punished by a teacher. It showed the world that you are irresponsible or you came from a bad family. You were expected to be quiet in class unless when called upon or when asking a question, be in class early and always, always take notes in class, and submit your assignments on time. You never wanted your parents to hear that you broken any of these rules or you were punished by a teacher. This was because you have disgraced your parents and family. The pressure was on the parents and family to make sure that they brought good children into the world and not on the teacher. If parents can not raise good children, then they should not have them. If the children are wayward to the point of expulsions and suspensions, then the parents will have to deal with it because no school would want them. The teacher only acts as a temporary parent to the children while they have the children in their care. They are meant to help keep and raise the children during school hours to be educated and learn discipline. America must have a system, where parents should be fined or punished for having children that are delinquent in the schools. We must take pressures away from our teachers. Each home has about three children each day, but teachers have to deal with much more children each day.
The root of these delinquent children is usually fatherless homes and abortion. Abortion helps lead to a lifestyle of our women not carefully making sure that the men they sleep with are responsible or will be there for their children. It creates a lifestyle of chasing temporary flashiness instead of a perceived permanent relationship through marriage. This also leads to many fatherless homes and single teenage mothers. Most of the problem children I had in my teaching days were children from divorced homes, single mothers, and homes were their fathers were working far away from home on weekdays. Every time I told a child that I was calling the father or that I called the father, the child always sat up. In fact, some mothers prevented me from reporting issues to their husbands or their children’s father. This was because they were ashamed and powerless at the same time about the situation. America must pass laws to challenge the schools systems to put pressure on parents to be liable for their children and not the teachers. This should pressurize mothers to make better choices with whom they procreate with and fathers to be present in the life of their children, or face a severe penalty for it.
