Schools and teachers: Not always to blame

We all know that Ken Robinson famously talked about how schools kill creativity. I agree with a lot of the things he says. Yes, we do place a hierarchy on subjects. Yes, people seem to not value the arts as much as anything else. And yes, we are forcing children through a system that tries to produce university students and professors. I do believe that not everyone is suited for university - it is not the so-called "logical" step to take after graduating high school. But let's take a step back from the whole "the system-is-the-problem" approach. Being a teacher myself, I would like to share some of my views. I'd like to focus on some of the things that school should NOT be to blame when:

1. Students are apathetic and refuse to work no matter what type of assignment you throw their way. Honestly, it's not the teacher sometimes, or the work assigned, or the subject matter. Sometimes it is the student, and his/her lack of caring for anything. And I mean anything.

2. Students are not ready for college or university. Oh, you mean that a school is not to blame if a student goes to university and fails so badly that they have to drop out? You mean that that student's French teacher and English teacher cannot be blamed for the student's inability to keep up with the material at the collegiate level? In most cases, you're damned right they're not to blame. I keep hearing people tell me about "terrible" teachers they had in high school. Sometimes the stories are legit. And sometimes they're pure bullshit. It's just easier for some students to foist their failures onto the shoulders of someone else. If you ask me, this generation has a lot to learn about responsibility.

3. Students are unable to take care of themselves when they graduate from high school. But isn't it the job of home ec teachers to give students cooking skills, and isn't the job of all teachers to make sure that students have the proper work ethic? NO. Bloody hell NO. Teachers have enough on their plate already. Students need to learn how to cook an egg at home. Their parents should have taught them how to manage money and do their laundry. Honestly, schools can only reinforce what is taught at home. If parents do their job properly, then I think there would be fewer clueless college students who don't know how to cook or even act like a decent human being.

I know schools do play a huge role in education. And so do teachers. But there's only so much teachers and schools can do. The ratio of students to teachers is usually pretty high, and if students aren't getting what they need at home, then they will fall by the wayside.

For those of you who go around griping about your teachers from high school, think again: was the teacher really the problem? Or could you have done something more proactive for your OWN education? Think about that.