Parents have always been concerned about their kids getting to school safely, but it looks like the worry shouldn't end at the front doors.
An 8-year-old student from the Bronx is accused of slashing a 9-year-old classmate in the neck with a double-edge razor.
The fight went down during recess where the kids were arguing in the play yard. The younger of the two whipped out the weapon and cut the other one, who was rushed to the hospital, stitched up, and released.
How scary is that?! Rough high schools are one thing but this is ridiculous. It's like Lean on Me for the Elmo-adoring set. But as disturbing as it is to picture this half-pint playing Freddy Krueger, I find it even more shocking that school parents are BLAMING THE TEACHERS for the violence.
Many say classes are overrun with "problem children" because the administration is not strict enough when it comes to discipline. (I should note that this school has a history of behavioral issues. The students are so bad, the principal canceled the fifth grade graduation ceremony.)
Now, I could be wrong, but I seriously doubt the teachers are arming them with shanks and encouraging a round of The Hunger Games near the swing set. It's not reading, writing, and assault with a deadly weapon.
The problems these students have began long before they landed in those classrooms. Violence is a learned behavior and most kids learn it in their homes or from those closest to them. That means it's the parents' job to teach them right and wrong, to respect the lives of others, and how to resolve differences without violence. Of course teachers should reinforce those life lessons, but is it really fair to make it their job to curb anti-social or homicidal tendencies?
Now, I do think kids can pick up bad habits at school, but a willingness to literally cut another student's throat is beyond that. It’s ultimately the parents responsibility to shape them into good, decent people.
What do you think? Are the teachers to blame for these out-of-control students?
Image via yellowcloud/Flickr
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Comments 42
Totally the parents responsibility to teach their children the difference of right and wrong. It's more then that, however. An 8 year old child would rarely think of doing something like this, let alone with a 2 edged razor. Why he went for the other child's neck is a scary thought, and why not an arm or leg? This is b/c it's a learned behavior, and had been seen in the household in a violent way. Parenys who are not supervising their children's activities are to blame, and it isn't the teacher's responsibility to add that to a long day of teaching. Do these parents even involved in their children's learning, or do they just send them to school so they could have free time? Why then have children?
My God, this child behavior is going too far!!! If I am the mother of that child, i would be very ashamed of myself and couldn't let my child to go to school after that. Even the school has the responsibility on the children, they couldn't watch for them time to time, and this kind of fight just happen so fast that the teachers might not be aware of. The parents has the major responsibility of teaching their kids what is right and wrong and reminding them always not to do bad things to others. I have children going to school, and my son is always telling me that some of his classmates are bullying him and stealing his stuffs and even food, and sometimes punching him, and what i am telling him is not to fight back, instead tell to his teacher who are those bullying him and let his teacher do the rest. I also explained to my son that the classmate who is stealing his food might not have money to buy food so just let him eat his food but tell him next time to ask for the food, and not steal it.
No! parents are not putting a foot in the butt of the kids and they think it is ok to run the show teachers can only do so much where did the kid get the blade? did the parents not know the kid had this and why was it where a kid could get it find the parents and find out how they need help in sendind the kid down the right path it is hard but at least they and the kid could ask how and where nto go for help, we should not let kids have so many rights to use on everybody my kids would have gotten their butts beat for some of the things kids get away with noe because you are not to whip some ass!!!!
Obviously the parents and teachers are both likely to blame. However, it is possible for a perfectly good child to learn those behaviors from other kids, especially in what is apparently an out-of-control environment at this school. It is also possible for an out-of-control child to behave this way in what would seem to be a controlled environment. Somebody is to blame, but in this situation, due to the background information about the school, it is most likely the school.
Its easy to blame the teacher because then the parents do not have to accept any responsiblity for their lack of parenting. As a 1st grade teacher, so many parents are disassociated from thier children. They do not know who their child's friends are, what is in their backpacks or their pockets, and many parents rarely read notes from the teacher expressing concern over behaviors. BUT it is also important to remember, that for every parent that is not involved...there are plenty of parents who are. Sadly, in a behaviorly challenged school, more often than not, the children and families have a "shoot first" mentality with little thought to the repercussions. The violence is a normal part of their daily lives, at home and in the community. Sadly, the children learn to take it into the schools where the teachers are fighting an uphill battle to teach them how to read, write, and do arithmatic without "leaving a child behind" with little or no support.