Punishing the Victim -- Why Public Schools Pressure Parents To Give Their Kids Mind-Altering Drugs
Public-school teaching is structured in such a way that it inevitably bores millions of normal, active children who are forced to sit in classrooms six to eight hours a day with about twenty other immature children. The teacher has to cover the curriculum, so she is pressured to teach all the kids the same material in the same way. Few teachers have the time or patience to know each child's unique personality, interests, strengths, or weaknesses, or give different instruction to each student.
Middle-school and high-school children often have to learn subjects they can't relate to, are not interested in, or that frustrate them, such as history, trigonometry, or foreign languages. As a result, many students get bored, watch the clock, and wait for the school day to end.
Classroom "learning" usually consists of forcing students to read dumbed-down textbooks, memorizing facts from these textbooks, and then regurgitating these meaningless facts on dumbed-down tests. Students go from gym to math, to chemistry, to English literature, to American history. Their day consists of disconnected lectures on disconnected subjects. Each class lasts only fifty minutes, so their train of thought breaks off at the sound of the bell.
Young children in elementary school have natural high energy, and each child has his or her own unique personality. Most teachers simply don't have the time or patience to teach different material or use different teaching methods with each child. Just being cramped into a classroom with twenty-five other children and told to learn certain tasks by an adult they may not like, can annoy or frustrate many normal but emotionally immature children with a will of their own.
Overworked teachers are under a lot of pressure today. They must teach many students in their classes, cover the curriculum, test and grade the students, and prove to parents and the principal that their students are learning and doing well in their studies. Even worse, a teacher's job may now be threatened or she could be disciplined if her students do poorly on the new standardized tests The No Child Left Behind Act puts pressure on teachers and principals to make sure students pass these tests because the school can lose funding or even close down if students' test grades don't measure up to minimum standards.
For all these reasons, over-worked teachers are under enormous pressure to maintain discipline in class so they can do their job. If some students are disruptive, don't pay attention, or cause trouble in class, the teacher must do something about these children to keep order. In the old days, teachers could discipline kids by smacking or restraining them. If a teacher tried this today, parents would quickly slap her and the school with a lawsuit, so that kind of discipline is now impossible. Also, as we mentioned earlier, compulsory-attendance laws now make it extremely difficult to expel a violent or disruptive student.
So how do school authorities solve this discipline problem? Too often, they pressure parents to give Ritalin (or similar drugs) to "calm" children down or make them "focus" on their work. However, school authorities needed a way to justify using these mind-altering drugs on children. They found this "justification" by going along with the psychiatric establishment's claim that millions of normal, active, or bored kids who might be having temporary medical, emotional, or other stress problems at home or in class, have an alleged mental illness called ADHD.
By claiming that normal but disruptive children have a mental illness, school authorities feel justified in giving kids mind-altering drugs to "correct" the problem. Indeed, many well-intentioned teachers and principals have come to believe the ADHD rhetoric so strongly, that they sincerely believe they are helping children they think have ADHD.
Well-intentioned or not, schools also get many important benefits by taking the easy way out with Ritalin. School districts today are strapped for money because many States are running huge budget deficits. Schools can't spend the time, money, or effort it takes to find out what makes problem kids act out. They don't have the resources to give these children intensive, time-consuming psychological counseling, or test them for all the real medical conditions that might be causing the problem. So pressuring parents to give Ritalin to their normal but "unruly" kids to "quiet" them became the typical American quick-fix for solving complex problems.
Parents, don't let public schools pressure you into giving your children potentially dangerous mind-altering drugs. It is far more likely that your public school has PSTD (public school teaching disorder) than your normal child has an alleged disease called ADHD. Consider taking your children out of public school and homeschooling them.
Joel Turtel is the author of "Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com, Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348. Article Copyrighted © 2005 by Joel Turtel. NOTE: You may post this Article on another website only if you set up a hyperlink to Joel Turtel's email address and website URL, http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com
Home Plans
ChooseHomePlan.com for your next dream house!
PlayNintendoDS.com
PlayNintendoDS.com is a site for Nintendo DS Lovers.
Avon Representatives
Find an Avon Rep in your area!
Related Articles:
How Well Do You Really Know Your Teen? 2Xtreme's John Davis Challenges Parents to Get Real and Be Proactive With Boys
Many parents are acutely aware of the increasing troubles that face today's teen - drinking, drugs, weapons in school and pre-martial sex to name a few. What would surprise many parents is that the statistics for un-churched teens and teens raised in the church are shockingly similar. You are no longer able to spot a "troubled teen" by appearance alone - they're just as likely to be found in youth group as on the streets. In Extreme Pursuit, author John Davis reveals that boys are designed by God to be extraordinary, to build and to make an impact on the world. But left unchecked and unfocused, this intensity and drive can lead to destructive behavior. Davis encourages today's parents to move from passive parenting to proactive engagement o ...
Kids Inc Therapists Encourage Children to 'Play Their Feelings'
Kids Inc, a leading children's counseling group in Omaha, shared today a list of "Play Therapy" tips for parents to use with their children. Following the April 24 reported gunshots at two Omaha schools, Kids Inc provided the play-focused tips for parents of the affected elementary and middle school students.
Teen Parenting And Its Issues
Teen parenting affects a million teens in the US per year. These data include both boys and girls. There are actually about 500,000 babies born to teens each year. This rate has steadily declined but still affects many teens who are not yet ready to be parents because they haven?t gotten out of childhood yet themselves.
Safe Toys For Toddlers
The toddler age group encompasses those children at the age ranging from two to five This is the period wherein kids being to grow physically and mentally
Copper Canyon Academy Expands Equine-Assisted Therapy Program at Its Boarding School for Girls
The use of equine therapy in the therapeutic boarding school setting helps defiant teen girls develop compassion, empathy, and better communication skills.
Grapevine Star Entertainment Uses Hip Hop, Anime and a Cowboy to Target, Publishers, Retailers, Apparel, Cell phone, Toys & Gift Companies at 2007
Grapevine Star Entertainment announced brands available for licensing at the 2007 Licensing International Expo in New York. The World's Favorite Cowboy, Tex DunRight™, Tween Girl's Manga brand, MeMe and My World™, The Emotionals™, representing Kid's emotions at play, Elementary school favorite, Mr. Bandman™ and Hip Hop Properties™' Urban Hit, Hip Hop Bobbleheads™ are available for Licensing
Top Five Ways To Stay In Touch With Your Child
Once your little boy/girl goes off to school, you may find that your "special talks" occur less frequently..
Parent Solutions LLC Keeps Residential Treatment Centers Honest
Parent Solutions LLC, a provider of boarding school services to parents of troubled teens, announces their honest approach in selecting residential treatment centers.
SwaggMedia.com Live Streams The Ball Up Street Ball Tour 2009 Exhibition Game Against E-League From The Dub Car Show March 22nd
Ball Up Street Ball Tour Launches Game Against Celebrity E-League and Play For Children Uniting Nations Foster Youth and Various Boys and Girls Clubs
"The Sneaky Chef" Author Missy Chase Lapine Joins MothersClick.com To Support The 2nd Annual "Cookbook for Moms"
Recipes That Raise Money for Kids: 100% of The Proceeds To Be Donated To The Boys & Girls Clubs of America
11 Parenting Tips to Help Your Child Succeed at School
For most parents, sending children to school is a necessity of childrearing. The goal when parents turn their precious children over to the school, be they toddlers or teenagers, is for kids to be safe, comfortable and ready to learn. Too often, parents feel like separate entities from their child?s teacher/s and school. As soon as parents hug their children goodbye in the morning, parenting is put on hold until they collect their kids at the end of the school day; and virtual strangers take over the important parenting/teaching role.
Mohawk Movement Begins with Release of 'Mohawk Song'
The rock/hip-hop group "Future Stars" releases Mohawk themed record, the "Mohawk Song", featuring the "Olly Girls" digitally on iTunes.
How To Introduce Toys To Your Baby
Plush toys are traditionally a huge hit with both infants and parents Babies usually enjoy playing with a soft, cuddly, object that is colorful
Back-to-School Stress for Teen Boys
Talking To Teen Boys About Acne; Top Derm Advises Different Approach Than With Teen Girls
Girls Camps Let Girls Just Be Girls
Parents of pre-teens and teens are often loathe to allow their young daughters to attend co-ed summer camp. Fortunately, there's a very good alternative. Girls camps let girls enjoy all the traditional summer camp fun without the interference of boys or the worry on the part of their parents.