Out of Control Non-Learners

As a school teacher of fifteen years experience, it is
natural that I should keep an eye on the developing situation in the field of
education.

An article taken from the Dominion, 11 November way back in
1998 tells us, "Sixty-eight pupils are suspended every school day, Education
Ministry figures show. Suspensions in the third quarter of this year increased
to 3615 in 53 school days. This compares with 3217 over 54 days for a similar
period last year...

Disobedience was involved in 23 per cent of suspensions,
physical assaults on the other pupils accounted for 20.55 per cent, verbal
assault on staff 12.8 per cent. Drug related suspensions increased slightly,
from 11.8 per cent (390) in the third quarter of 1997 to 12.5 per cent (453)."
End Quote.

When I was a school teacher we would carry out the Word
of God and give the children something across their bottoms that they would
never forget and very few ever had the opportunity of being suspended and thus
going home to enjoy themselves for the rest of the day.

Proverbs 13:24, "He that spareth his rod hateth his son,
but he that loveth him chaseneth him betimes."

Proverbs 22:28, "Remove not the ancient landmark which thy
fathers have set." This verse simply tells us that throughout the generations
parents have disciplined their children using the rod of correction, but now
days somebody has moved the landmarks equating violence with discipline.

Again we read in Proverbs 23:13, "Withhold not correction
from the child, for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou
shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell."

It is clear that this treatment is no longer legal and
therefore another Scripture tells us that if we sow the wind we will reap the
whirlwind.

We now quote from the Waikato Times, 17 March 2000, Teenagers
criticised. "The head of one of Australia's largest employers of young
people says teenagers are inarticulate and need training to carry out basic
tasks. McDonald's Australasia chairman Peter Ritchie said the country's
education system was failing young people in providing communication and people
skills, the Daily Telegraph reported. "You'd be amazed at how incapable most
Australians are of facing a stranger across a counter and dealing with them in a
warm and friendly way," he said." End Quote.

Therefore it must be emphasised that discipline alone will
not bring about people skills. There is a massive need for parents to stand up
and take responsibility for teaching children how to smile, to welcome people,
to put visitors first and to make them feel comfortable.

Many children today, of course, cannot utter more than a few
words at a time as day and night they face a television set which speaks to them
but they never have opportunity to answer.

Our advice as parents is to turn the TV off from time to time
and spend time as families discussing the true realities of life, having fun
together, playing games, doing things and laughing.

When families begin to do these things together again then
the children will not complain if they are taken to church and are asked to sit
through a Bible reading and a prayer time as they will see that there are other
things in life more important than the things of this world.

Parents set landmarks again for your children and they will
bless you.