Jul
Car to a 12 yr old
Filed Under (Education) by Jason Monastra on 11-07-2008
I was reading the article most recently of the 12 yr old in Chicago that received a car for her perfect attendance during the school year. This took place in Chicago, not a private school, but within the public school system. She is not legally able to drive the vehicle (valued at more than 15,000 dollars) for another 4 yrs but that is of no matter. Public administration cited the gift as a key component of combating truancy among young students and encouraging their attendance in school.
What a load of ………. Can anyone else not believe this? First and foremost, I am not against the rewarding of students that have perfect attendance. I agree with incentives for children that follow the rules and showing the rewards that can come from bettering oneself. But a car? The child cannot even drive the car. Was there not a more appropriate gift for a child that age? I am certain that a 12 yr old was not asking for a car, as most children that age are more interested in things that directly effect their lives today - not years down the road. Also, where did the 15,000 dollars come from? I see countless complaints of aging educational products, lower teacher pay than needed, and countless other needs within the public schools….where do we get 15k to rattle off and buy someone a car? My hope is that there was some donation that the school used as a buzz piece to increase the publicity of the event. But seriously, if the school administration approved that and kids cannot get books - someone needs to be asking Arne Duncan a bunch of questions.
