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Families who don't care about education is a problem. It shocks me when I hear about kids who live in houses without books, when you can buy used books for pennies or get them free from the library. Even if the majority of families (who do care), their kids are held back by the disruption of those kids who don't care, or by a school system that does not hold them to higher standards. This is primarily an educational issue, not an integration issue.
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Here is the other problem. It's not that those parents "don't care about education". Part of the problem is that many of them simply don't understand or are aware of what educational opportunities actually exist. Or it could be that they do want decent educational opportunities for their children, but just don't know what resources are out there or what they need to do.

But there is also the fact that these parents are probably in low-wage jobs. They probably don't get benefits and are barely making ends meet. Unlike their affluent suburban counterparts they don't have as much flexibility to be involved. For example, in many white-collar jobs, people can work alternative or compressed work schedules. They can take a half day off to volunteer at their school. Or they can take time off to volunteer for their kid's sports team. They have the flexibility to be more involved.

The lower income parent is probably not in such a job. That parent may be in a job without benefits or leave. Or to be blunt said parent can't afford to take half a day off because he/she won't get paid. Even worse, in some cases, it may be the difference between being employed and being fired.

So I don't think that it's a matter of them "not caring" per se, but rather the result of multiple pressures parents like that face. I am grateful to have a good-paying job. But even with the salary that I make it's hard to make ends meet. I can only imagine what it must be like to be a janitor making $7 per hour in this area.

by Rain17 on Jul 24, 2012 2:12 pm • link • report