Comments on: Can A Tracking Device Curb Truancy?

A New Program In Dallas Makes Truant Students Carry A GPS Device

[mollydtt]

We have lapsed into an era of "school is optional". Unfortunately, it means that the schools fail and the kids that want to be there have to find other schools. It is unfortunate that we have to abide with the decisions of kids that are too young to know that they need an education. Silly isn''t it that they get to call the shots. Someone has to be the adult and keep them in school until their reasoning skills are developed.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Johnny is not learning because Johnny does not want to and no one has convinced him of the need to" Posted by toldyouso12

Therein lies the truth, why subject Johnny to an indoctrination exercise that is totally useless in the world Johnny has to survive? Most of what America calls "education" is simply the promotion of false dogma, which has nothing to do with real life.

For example, music has basically been cut from schools, yet it is a multi-billion dollar worldwide business, instead, Johnny is forced to hear garbage like Columbus "discovering" America.

Fix education, make it relevant, and then Johnny will go voluntarily and learn.

[toldyouso12]

And at what point will courts order parents to submit to a device injected under the skin in the forehead or left hand? Is there a Bible in the house?

Posted by dovestar at 05:01 AM : Jun 11, 2008


Get your own bible and refresh yourself--if you are referring to the mark of the beast--it is in the forehead or the RIGHT hand not the left.

[toldyouso12]

In our house, since they were little, my kids have been subjected to mind "games" and challenged to think.

I would take them to grocery stores as 4 and 5 year olds, point out the various names of fruits and veggies, then send them on a scavenger hunt to find ones on a list--we would buy various items and try them out. This led to them liking fruits and veggies, improved their memories and they thought the games were fun. The same with videos--no cable in our home for years. We rented or bought videos and after a movie, they''d be quizzed on obscure stuff like what green item was on the desk when Neo woke up after the white rabbit party in the matrix?

On road trips, we did not look for license plates--we quoted famous lines from movies and the kids had to guess which movie it was--they still like to play these games--they all teach awareness, and mental acuity.

I sometimes spent an hour or two only conversing by spelling in rapid fire---I take the kids to museums, art shows, to antique malls and discuss the items in detail--they pay attention because they know they will be quizzed later and they loved working toward my grand prizes. (yes, they got points for winning and they worked for a prize each year)

[toldyouso12]

This is stupid. American HS grads are performing and reading at a 6th grade level on average. The average American newspaper is written at a 4th grade level and more and more, contains spelling errors and slang. Most adults in the corporate arena can not spell or compose a decent business or techinical writing missive. Most people under the age of 30 cannot perform simple equations (like making change from a 20.00 bill) without a calculator.

The point is this: What difference does it make if a person is in school physically but cannot or refuses to learn and one who is not in school? The net result is the same. The idea of chipping people in some way to track them keeps popping up--but they don''t attack the root issues. "Johnny is not learning because Johnny does not want to and no one has convinced him of the need to" Either not enough nurturing or the wrong kind (like spoiling them to death) Since Johnny does not feel like learning, it matters not whether he is in school physically or not--because emotionally and mentally--he already is elsewhere. Take away the video games and tv--save both for vacations, be there or have your kids monitored when they do homework--make it at the same time, in the same location and as immediately following school as possible--form a reading group with your kids--can the soccer, volleyball and football and start working out those minds.

[kat1park]

This is borderline. I think it could work though, if it is done for kids who are not just truant but also committing crimes such as vandalism or stealing. Then you can justify it. But I don''t know if you can justify it just because someone is skipping school. I guess the key is to have the parent''s permission when they feel as though they have tried everything else to keep their kids out of trouble and nothing else has worked. At least if you force them to go to school you know where they are. I guess the key to the success of this program is that desperate parents seek out the assistance for their children as opposed to the school system forcing it on parents. In the old days, teachers called parents and said your child wasn''t in my class today. Not too many teachers take the time to give that kind of personal attention anymore. So without the tracking device, parents will have no idea that a child is skipping school. If you want your child to have a chance to succeed, you may have to do something drastic to save them. I agree that this is a slippery slope, but it may actually keep a child out of trouble and perhaps even save a child''s life. To the extent that it achieves that goal, it might be worth exploring.

[dovestar]

This is a slippery slope. Government tracks our kids electronically. At what point do they just chuck the parents and take over? Who determines who is tracked and why? And at what point will courts order parents to submit to a device injected under the skin in the forehead or left hand? Is there a Bible in the house?

[incog-nito]

The Bush administration is reportedly working on a plan to surgically implant one of these devices in every newborn in the U.S. To fight terrorism, of course.

[soshljustic]

So we''ll have kids on electronic leashes whom have attempted to mirror greater adult society that has dropped out of adult committments ie. jobs, relationships,dysfunctioning families,dysfunctioning peer groups. When does society start dispensing these leashes for adult society,so that it may clean up its act and a portray the appropriate mentored behaviors which have worked predominently in history? Those and a quest for the ability to afford and the desire for an education were once old time american values,and have now become consumer goods in a throw away and planned obsolescence society. Perhaps we need to return to child labor issues and start training programs in teenage years when children want money and goods, have them work full time before attending college which might inspire renewed appreciation for education. As an adult learner, many adult learners enjoy school and excel, after the school of hard knocks, for those kids that hear another calling. I''m not advocating a 1 size fits all, but rather a individualized approach for each depending upon focus, maturity,worldview,life chances, ability...

[mollydtt]

In Texas, if the truancy figures are too high, the high school closes and the students are sent to other high schools. A high school in Austin just found out last week that it was deemed "unacceptable" and will close. The funny part is that the unexcused absences and failure to graduate a higher percentage of students is what caused the school to close, more than the standardized test scores. As a parent, I''d make my kid go to school (the punishment I''d give would be worse than any punishment a school official could think up), but it is obvious that the parents need a little help trying to find out where their kids are before it is too late. I personally think this is a good idea. I hope it helps some kids get a life and keep them from dragging everyone else down with them.
Everyone loses when kids skip school, even the ones that want to be there.