A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

February 17th, Tuesday/ Private education, as well as public education, seems to be a big mess in America. I understand that money is always at the base of many problems so... Considering the state of the economy and considering the priorities of those in charge of the money, it only stands to reason that the children will ultimately suffer./ I had the opportunity to have a conversation with two 11 year old boys that I know who attend a private "Christian" school. There is a school master who has no other adults working at the school. There are about 20 students ranging in age from 8 to 17and the school master is the only teacher. The students are divided by two classrooms and they are not taught any one specific thing by the school master. They are instructed to watch a selected DVD about "whatever," then they are to study and be tested on whatever the homework assignment is, based on the DVD. They receive grades based on how they do on the tests that are based on how they do with their homework. What I do not understand how they can receive grades based on what I described if no specific one subject is discussed? I mean, I asked if they learned anything about math formulas' and sentence breakdowns, to which they replied "no!" My question is how will they be able to get in an "accredited" college if admissions is based on a GPA that is not in place at their particular school? In other words, how are they going to achieve higher learning if they are not prepared in the early stages of their young lives? / Then there was some conversation about their recess sessions where there was no "present" adult supervision. One of the two boys had a broken arm and the other had lacerations and a torn coat received during a couple of those recess sessions. No accountability was was offered to the parents relating to those altercations. / Now, the other side to this phenomenon is how could a parent allow their child to attend such a place, with or without this knowledge, based on the, seemingly, lack of accreditation? When checked into, there was no knowledge of a governing body to regulate the school's curriculum. / So, what should be done? Should those kids stay in that particular school or should they be exposed to the harsh reality of public school and receive an accredited education while getting their collective asses kicked, while under adult supervision? In other words, where can a child attend a school their parents can be assured that they will be safe while studying to insure their future? The answer to this question is with those who are in charge of the money. For some reason they do not seem to think that this dilemma is all that important. I mean, let's get real: What is the alternative to any of this? What was that? Home schooling? Who's got time for that? Last time I checked, kids need to eat so that they can have the strength to learn but where is the money going to come from if the parent(s) have to work even when the economy is so screwed up?(By the way, is a Catch 22 related to Murphy's Law?)