This week in class we watched a film called Hardscrabble childhood. It was based on lower income children who went to "normal" public schools. One thing that I found interesting was that they always seemed to stand out. The children had various claims from their peers as well as their teachers making them markers in their classrooms. From their peers, they were made fun of for their clothing and the things that make them stand out from the other children. As for their teachers, they wanted them to shower and they also told them they would never amount to anything. This is what i find the most striking. Teachers are there to HELP children, not put them down. This is where I think our responsibility lies. Many of the people who are in the class are going to be in some field that deals with children. From social work to actually being a teacher, we are the ones who have to encourage the children, not "disencourage" them, coming directly from one of the children from the film. I also think that school uniforms do serve a purpose. Although kids always complain about it, it puts everyone on an equal playing field. Although this sounds like perfect, of course there is a problem. What about the children that cannot afford to buy their uniforms? Well to resolve this, I believe that schools should push to put school uniforms in the budget. Schools push for new playing fields for their athletes. Why not push for uniforms for the underprivileged?
The other area that I found intersting was the weight of many of the children in the film. A lot of them are what is considered overweight. What is the reason for this? Well it is mostly because unhealthy food is much more affordable than healthy food. I think that schools should also push for healthier lunch plans and provide them for those would cannot provide for themselves.
2 comments:
Hey, that's a new point you've made! The weight issue! We seem to focus on the social aspects of these children's lives but not on the physical. You are absolutely right though, their weight (esp the girls) are to be taken into careful consideration. Maybe the teachers/school could ensure that they are properly nourished rather than worrying about offensive odors.
I totally agree. I thought I was going crazy when i was watching the film in class! When i realized it was due to food prices, I thought it was outrageous. Your idea on having schools worry about nourishment rather than offensive odors is a great idea. The problem it, how do we do that?
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