SCHOOLS ALONE "CANNOT HELP POOR"

TIMOTHY FEIMER

CURRENT ISSUE 1

BBC NEWS
9/6/07
NO AUTHOR FOUND
- REPORT FOR CHARITY JOSEPH ROWNTREE FOUNDATION
ASCD SMARTBRIEF

SUMMARY:
THE ARTICLE BASICALLY SAYS THERE ARE MORE FACTORS TO THE EDUCATION OF LOW INCOME STUDENTS THAN THE SCHOOL THEY ATTEND. THE STUDY WAS DONE IN ENGLAND AND THE OTHER FACTORS ARE:
1. THE STUDENTS ARE AWARE OF THERE SOCIAL STATUS
2. DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS HAVE DIFFERENT ATTITUDES TOWARDS LEARNING AND SCHOOLS
3. THOSE WHO WERE ABLE TO DEVELOP READING AND WRITING SKILLS OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL WERE MORE APT OT HAVE BETTER SELF-ESTEEM
4.HIGHER INCOME FAMILIES HAD BETTER HOMEWORK HELP AND MORE PHYSICAL SPACE TO DO THE HOMEWORK

THE PROBLEM AS I SEE IT IS WE AS EDUCATORS NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT SOME OF THESE FACTORS. IT IS NOT ONLY THE LACK OF A COMPUTER IN THE HOME BUT ALSO AN ATTITUDE THAT MAY PERSIST THEIR.

FOR ME THIS HITS HOME RATHER HARD. THE STUDENTS I TEACH ARE MORE LIKELY FROM A LOW INCOME HOME. THE FACTORS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO OVER COME BUT I THINK IF WE CAN GET THE PARENTS ON OUR SIDE TO REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A HIGHER INCOME FOR THEIR CHILDREN WE MAY BE ABLE TO COMBAT SOME OF THESE FACTORS. WE COULD ALSO USE THE INFAMOUS 37.5 MINUTES TO DO MORE GOOD FOR THE STUDENTS BY PROVIDING AN EXTRA HELP SESSION FOR HOMEWORK OR MORE COMPUTER TIME TO TEACH TECHNIQUES.