School has certainly changed. When I graced the hallowed halls of Wagga South Primary school, pupil discipline was dealt swiftly with a four foot cane and an eager smile. When the offense did not qualify for corporal punishment, teachers would gleefully pummel you with chalk and sentence you to hours of picking up grotty kid rubbish. Oh how we yearn for those wonderful times.
Today kids get zoned, carded and placed on a behavioural continuum which will become a source of either praise or admonishment. A typical day for one of our prep twins will do your head in. Me to wife " How did Eli go today?" Reply "Well he started in the green but by morning tea was orange, then got a red card at lunch but the end of the day was in the blue zone". To this I nod blankly and try to ascertain from my wifes' face whether this report makes me happy or sad. Generally the correct answer is sad, in which case I am expected to speak to my 5 year old about his actions. Now Eli gets more red cards than Kevin Muscat, so I find myself having a familiar conversation about how he did "nothing at all". Oh the injustice! Every day at lunch Eli is misrepresented and unfairly chastised apparently. While I listen to his story I find solace in the fact that he is not quite at the bottom of the class thermometer, or the "parenting gauge" as I call it, which means at least a few parents have kids worse than me. Or more misunderstood? Who would know. Now, where is that cane?
Friday, March 16, 2012
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