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I can't speak for any others, but, uh, yes, we did clean when I was in school. Yes the school had janitors, but we also cleaned. We picked up trash, and I mean in a formal, forma line and police up this area way, not just random pick up. Did that from elementary one. I've also swept floors, cleaned toilets, painted, etc. As older kids we had to form a line of swinging blades (if you know what those are) and cut the high grass on the hillside. I've striped fields with lime (takes a lot of lime to do a football field with hash marks), mowed them, and scraped them level.
Do you know what happened if you broke a window in my high school? You had to replace it. I don't mean just pay for it, but had to remove the old glazing, cut the glass, and then put in the new glass into the window. Punishment and learning a skill all at the same time.
So, what's the problem with kids doing chores.
Interesting. Private school or public? I think it is safe to say it has not been the norm in the US, but I guess it happened some places.
Re the bolded, I never ever said there is a problem with kids doing chores. In fact, I listed the chores that mine do at home. I have also pointed out about 7 times that kids do wipe desks, pick up the classroom, and keep their own area tidy. And, I have pointed out the problems I have with kids doing janitorial work multiple times. It is all here. I'm not going to say it all again.
I have to admit that I'm surprised over the number of parents here who have children go to schools where the janitorial staff is infected with deadly diseases and mutated by toxic chemicals into monsters never before seen by science. Maybe 60 Minutes will do an exclusive.
Or are the janitorial staff pretty much fine even though they take trash to the dumpster and wipe down the toilets?
I like the fact that these adults get jobs cleaning schools. It's good to have unskilled labor jobs.
However, I think kids of all ages should be responsible for the overall cleanliness of their classrooms and common areas. Wiping down desks and sweeping floors... that kind of thing.
Why? Because not all kids learn to do it at home. Because physical work is healthy both physically and mentally. Because no one in this world should ever feel above pitching in and lending a hand no matter what the job. And.. the simplest most kindergarten reason of all... if you make a mess, you clean it up.
I'm also a bit unsure how some people seem to think it's either clean or learn and can't be both. Wouldn't it be possible to listen to the teacher or recite multiplication tables or answer questions while wielding a broom or paper towel?
They could measure the paper towel roll to learn math. They could learn about science with the broom (action, reaction, measure of force). They can learn about chemistry by making their own cleaning spray with vinegar and water. And they can learn civics and civic responsibility by keeping their school clean and having a cleanup period at the end of each day.
At my junior high, if you were caught with gum, you had to go find and scrape 25 pieces of gum off the school (off walls, under tables, etc.) I have no problem with kids cleaning up messes they make or punished with janitor duty for vandalism. I also remember tidying up the classroom at the end of the week, mainly cleaning the chalkboards, and having to clean out our desks at the end of the month. We also sprayed and wiped our desks before open house and recital events when parents were going to be there, and I think there were other small chores like emptying the paper punch and straightening bookshelves. My kids have to do things along those lines too, and I think they are pretty normal for schools to make their students do.
I just remembered that in primary school we had to move all the furniture out of our classroom at the end of the year once as the classroom was going to be redecorated during the summer. And we dug our own school pond. We enjoyed it!
We have close to year round here and it's horrible. The ability to plan a family vacation is about shot unless you're willing to take kids out of school to do it. A lot harder for kids to get traditional summer jobs.
I'd schedule around the breaks or take the kids out of school for a week. NBD I'd rather kids be achieving more in the academic setting than working at a job.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tnff
You want to know what's really funny? College. Starts later and ends sooner than regular school. Fewer hours per day in class. Yet they learn a whole heck of a lot more.
Because its a more concentrated approach of education for people on a certain track. You can also take summer classes in college. Most college classes have sections that begin at 8am, others end at 10pm. They also have a ton of homework and projects to do in most classes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tnff
More hours per day and more days per year doing the same wrong, failed, system isn't going to fix anything. Maybe we could go back to what was working 40 years ago before everyone had to fix the system in the name of fairness and improvement.
I didn't say merely increasing hours of instruction would be the answer...
I learned an interesting fact the other day and thought it was actually a very good one. In Japanese schools they don't have janitors or custodians; instead, at the end of the day all the students work together to clean up the school. Personally I think it is a GREAT idea and teaches them the importance of taking care of things and would probably stop a lot of the nasty crap that happens in the boys/girls bathrooms. Probably be less likely to leave a mess if chances are good you have to clean up.
I'd be all for it. Way too many kids here lack responsibility and frown at making their own beds.
Bed making is obviously something that needs to be taught at home, unless your kids go to boarding school. How many kid's reactions to bed making do you really see? Only your own, I'm guessing.
Making kids clean definitely doesn't have a negative impact, but you have to understand that it's kids we're talking about here so they won't always do such a great job.
The schools in South Korea can get pretty filthy even with the student cleaning, and they still need to hire someone to come in and do a thorough cleaning every now and then.
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