Results of Poll on: Attitudes in Education

In our last poll, we inquired:


POLL: Attitudes in Education

Perhaps the single-most important relationship an Observant Jewish. family has - outside of itself - is with its children's Yeshivah or Day School(s). With this in mind, this poll addresses the desired attitudes amongst the parents, schools and students with regard to their co-operative venture in molding the next generation

Please feel free to choose one or more answers

Scenario- a child does extremely well on 7 subjects and fair to poor in 3 others. What are our expectations as parents?

A. That the school should accentuate the positive

B That the school should point out the negative that needs to be "fixed"

C. Since this child is apparently overwhelmingly bright, the school should take responsibility for "fixing" the 3 weak subjects - since it was the school that was not able to help this child make the grade in those areas.

D. Since this child is apparently overwhelmingly bright, the parents and student should take responsibility for "fixing" the 3 weak subjects - which would seem to be due to the child's lack of motivation

E The child - A Unique Creature of Hashem - has been blessed with talents in some areas and weaknesses in others. The main thing is to accept the child as he/she is - and NOT to try to force "square pegs into round holes"

Your Responses (participants 4 / answers 5 - multiple answers were accepted)

Option A - 25% / 20% (1)
Option B - 0% (0)
Option C - 0% (0)
Option D - 25% / 20% (1)
Option E - 75% / 60% (3)


Comments
Rabbi Hecht
I guess the first thing I find interesting is the very lack of response to the poll. I really can't venture why this was so. I hope is was not because of a lack of concern for the issue. Mishlei states, chanoch l'na'ar al pi darcho which is a remarkable recognition of the subjective nature of education and how each person's education should really be tailor made for that child. One of the challenges of our educational system is that, given the nature of the classroom, it is most difficult if not impossible to reach this goal. This is why the option of home education is becoming more and more acceptable. In any event, our schools must always remember the principle expressed in Mishlei as they try to educate our children within the group setting. This is an idea that also came through in our poll.