Today heralds the commencement of a brand-new school year for most Cape May County pupils. Whether those future reporters, managers, designers and business executives are commencing their senior year in high school or, as 4-year-olds, making their first faltering steps into pre-K, all their days will be busy.
We, the taxpayers, expect nothing but excellence for our educational money expended. In pursuit of this golden bar of excellence we often forget each child is a fragile human, as we were at those tender ages.
We made mistakes, and hopefully learned from them. But are we as forgiving of this new generation of eager learners.
Since they were in diapers, we expected great things of all these students. Before they learned to use a fork and spoon we expected them to know their names and the letters of the alphabet.
Long before they knew how to count, we expected them to know their telephone numbers and house address. If they were superlative, we expected them to even know their Social Security number.
We piped classical music into their nurseries to help their brains grow. We bought them play computers to help them learn before their knew how to turn them on.
From television shows that babysat this young generation learned basic shapes and colors. They were taught rudimentary things, like big and small, triangles and squares.
Because they are members of a new breed of Americans, they also learned more about X-rated things at an earlier age from simply watching TV than ever before. During alleged “family time” of early evening viewing they heard sexual mores discussed like they were passing clouds, things former generations would not utter in public.
Words and phrases that would never have made it past censors in earlier days in television are commonplace. This is the now generation who will crowd into classrooms. Many of them disregard authority; never having been taught to obey anyone. They think nothing of talking back to their elders in a scurrilous way.
We wonder why some teachers shudder at the aspect of entering classrooms, and better understand after we talk with them of some chilling experiences, some of which include physical assaults, weapons carried in early grades and overall disrespect for themselves and others.
The youngsters who crowd into classrooms today will be scrutinized by the state Department of Education for every facet of learning.
They will be schooled in many things, but the end what will be most important, to the state and us taxpayers, will be their ability to pass a state test. That, to us, is of utmost importance, to us, that will be more important than knowing good from bad, or right from wrong.
Morals and ethics will not be taught. If learned at all, those intangibles must still be instructed around the kitchen table at home by caring adults. Some things remain within the domain of parents to teach. Like it or not, morals and ethics are among those things.
Some may wish to shove that task onto government along with providing breakfast and lunch, but teaching our children remains the domain of parents or guardians.
Throughout the county are many terrific teachers. Like gems of high value, each district has just a few extra special teachers who have the almost magical ability to set pupils’ minds into a blossoming mode.
Those teachers set minds afire, to teach lessons beyond the subject, perhaps lessons about life itself. They are certain to be the ones who will receive letters from former students in five or 15 years. They will be told that, were it not for their caring and extra time spent, those pupils would not be in the exalted stations in which they found themselves.
The school year will continue for just 180 days. Education will continue as long as an inspired student has a willing teacher. For many that never-ending quest to enrich the mind will begin today in a classroom somewhere near you.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
