Columbine
High School, Santana High School, Granite Hills High School, Sandy Hook
Elementary and Taft High School among many, many other schools where school
violence have made the news. Gun control
and mental health are highly debated topic as of recent; being a parent I can’t
help but be vested in the safety of our school systems. As I listen to this debate I have noticed one
common thread… the perpetrators all feel like some sort of outcast, rejected. Just last week in Taft, CA a young man opened
fire on classmates while at school because he was being bullied. Bullying is
NOT a new problem, it has plagued our society since the beginning of time, and
yet somehow it is pushing innocent children off the edge of sanity. What is the problem? Yes out mental health system need help, and
yes, somehow we must better screen the purchasers of guns. I am not a NRA member, nor do I own guns, but
I do support the Constitution of the United States of America and the 2nd
Amendment.
The
underlying thread to these young men and women is that they don’t feel like
they have a place in our society. What
has happened then? Our nation has become
one of reaction instead of being proactive.
We support social care programs leading to a sense of entitlements, making
our government to support a great chunk of the population, to the detriment of
the school systems. Our schools have
been stripped to the bones of faculty members, extracurricular activities and
the like. Studies like those done by the University of Nevada- Reno points that
extracurricular activities help to prevent problem behaviors such as truancy, drop-out
rates, violence and substance abuse. These
activities allow students a place to “belong”, for outcasts to find their place
doing activities they enjoy, such as,
music, drama, arts, chess, languages, debate, sports, trade skills… and the list goes on. These activities allow for additional adult
positive influence the students outlook on how he/she perceives things, and
their youth values. Studies also show that
students who do participate in extracurricular activities also are more likely
to attend college. If we were to invest
a little more heavily into the school system, taking a little more proactive
action, we would reduce drastically the reactive social dole system that is
necessary as we speak.
Due to
recent budget cuts, the teacher/student ratio has increased to 35% (20.9/1)
above the national average (15.5/1) according to the California School Boards
Association. In reality we are faced
with upwards of 35/1 teacher ratios. In
addition, teachers are asked to use their preparation periods to monitor the
playground. Full time school nurses and
school counselors are also a thing of the past. School counselors as we know
them today stand at a ratio of 1000/1. Is
it any wonder that young men and women are falling through the cracks and are
not being recognized for their mental illnesses? Schools are so desperately
overwhelmed trying to keep up with academic standards with such a little budget
that they are ill equipped to handle and deal with mental issues and drug abuse
in the school system. For the parents,
this IS an issue, they need resources to get their precious children the help
they need, and schools just ignore the bullies hoping they will go away.
It is time
for our Government to take some responsibility for the recent violent and
horrific actions that has occurred in many schools. STOP the continuous budget cuts and reinstate
teachers and faculty members that can identify and assist the healing of such
hurting individuals. In return, we will
be producing a healthier, more productive, less dependent, taxpaying group of
citizens.
