School no place to play?

EDITOR:

My son's principal called me and said, "School is not for playing."

Do you mean to say that you want to keep my child from 9 to 3:15 and 3:15 to 4:15 (homework club), and then to 5 to complete reading and other work? And during this time there is to be no play?

I'm sure you mean that play is allowed during recess, but to what extent? Is my child free to explore on the playground, or is watching out for bullies considered play? Perhaps he could fit in some play at lunch time? There's little time to peel an orange, much less chat with friends. That leaves the classroom. The teachers are filling their curriculum with fun, educational activities. My mistake " repetitive worksheets, repetitive worksheets, and repetitive worksheets are far from playful.

What are we preparing our children for with this drudgery? Filling out forms at the Social Security office? Or your job?

I was embarrassed at the top-rated elementary school my son attends when we played the game Risk. My son, who has done a forest-worth of geography worksheets, couldn't pronounce most of the countries on the board. That's when I realized that there's little teacher interaction. They're just handed a worksheet and a book, and expected to figure it out from there. Geography. What is the value of being able to regurgitate facts and figures if you sound like a fool on your next vacation?

Are we assuming that kids from Douglas will never make it outside the county, except for an occasional trip to Reno? I guess that makes sense. If you're preparing them for 9-5 drudgery, they will have no time or money to do more than turn on the TV and crack open a beer.

That's not the future my son wants. He wants to be a wealthy inventor with freedom to travel and play. You're not giving him the tools he needs to achieve that dream. You treat him like he has nothing to offer. You see him as a problem child. I'm asking you to see yourself as the problem.

You're shackling our children in boredom, and then wondering why your American-made car uses so much fuel. You're forcing our kids to color inside the lines, and then cursing at your electric bill. You're shoving students into bureaucratic hoops, and then getting angry at the government.

Don't you see how you're creating our future? China and Europe will rise to the top as they turn out graduates with the ability to engineer--think, design, problem-solve.

You're telling tomorrow's engineers to do it how it's always been done. To quiet down, to stop being disruptive.

I'm asking you to ration worksheets, infuse playtime into each hour, and put an end to the teasing from complacent children who aspire to be sugar-addicted nobodies.

I can assure you my son will not be a behavior problem, an attendance problem, or a pain in your butt if you throw "play" into school.

Gertie Kawleweski

Minden