Friday, November 30, 2007
From parent-teacher night to parent (teacher) rule
The Sudanese are barbarians. Not because of their émigré youth gangs (much in the news in Melbourne recently), but because in down home Sudan, one or more parents of young (6 y.o.) primary-school aged children has taken up a weapon only recently developed in the West, and found that – perhaps to their own great surprise – this weapon works just as well in their war and famine-ravaged land. The weapon? Parental rage against their children’s teachers.
Not too long ago in the West (i.e. when I was at school), this weapon was rare, if it existed at all. If a parent was dissatisfied with something a teacher had done or not done, there were appropriate channels of complaint, starting with the teacher’s boss, the school headmaster. These appropriate channels don’t seem to have actually changed over the last two or three decades, with one exception. A recalcitrant teacher’s boss is now apparently the parent with the loudest complaint.
I would speculate that, two or three decades ago, a parent would have been reluctant to go outside the usual channels of complaint. This may have been because the teacher concerned was (and still is) a qualified, educated professional. Alternatively, the parent may have paused to consider that, by making a direct complaint, they would probably come across as a screaming redneck, an impression which would not ordinarily attest to their fitness to (i) be a parent, and (ii) be taking the moral high ground. Last but not least, the parent may have stopped to think of the effect of their rage on the child caught in the middle of it.
All this, including their own child’s long and short-term welfare, is of no concern to the Sudanese parent/s in teddy-bear gate, of course. They know best, and won’t be denied. It turns out that globalisation’s seeming remotest, problem pupils have easily mastered the West’s post-1979 cardinal lesson in educational and institutional undermining.
The Sudanese are barbarians. Not because of their émigré youth gangs (much in the news in Melbourne recently), but because in down home Sudan, one or more parents of young (6 y.o.) primary-school aged children has taken up a weapon only recently developed in the West, and found that – perhaps to their own great surprise – this weapon works just as well in their war and famine-ravaged land. The weapon? Parental rage against their children’s teachers.
Not too long ago in the West (i.e. when I was at school), this weapon was rare, if it existed at all. If a parent was dissatisfied with something a teacher had done or not done, there were appropriate channels of complaint, starting with the teacher’s boss, the school headmaster. These appropriate channels don’t seem to have actually changed over the last two or three decades, with one exception. A recalcitrant teacher’s boss is now apparently the parent with the loudest complaint.
I would speculate that, two or three decades ago, a parent would have been reluctant to go outside the usual channels of complaint. This may have been because the teacher concerned was (and still is) a qualified, educated professional. Alternatively, the parent may have paused to consider that, by making a direct complaint, they would probably come across as a screaming redneck, an impression which would not ordinarily attest to their fitness to (i) be a parent, and (ii) be taking the moral high ground. Last but not least, the parent may have stopped to think of the effect of their rage on the child caught in the middle of it.
All this, including their own child’s long and short-term welfare, is of no concern to the Sudanese parent/s in teddy-bear gate, of course. They know best, and won’t be denied. It turns out that globalisation’s seeming remotest, problem pupils have easily mastered the West’s post-1979 cardinal lesson in educational and institutional undermining.
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I definitely cannot say how much that globalisation trend sucks -- but suck it does.
And, it is the migrant, who has not internalised the values of the culture they are operating in who is always penalised by this savagery. I experienced similar things in Australia, regrettably.
here's more on that.
And, it is the migrant, who has not internalised the values of the culture they are operating in who is always penalised by this savagery. I experienced similar things in Australia, regrettably.
here's more on that.
I still cannot believe that some of the loudest wails have been to compare this poor woman to the infamous Danish Cartoonists. In light of free speech and all, the Cartoonists baited the Muslim community on purpose. This woman simply committed a social faux pax.
Had she been gently corrected by a respectable member of the Muslim community, I have no doubt she would have shown suitable embarassment over the mistake and asked foregiveness.
Instead all I see are wild eyed nuts threatening violence against a women for something that is inconsequential.
I mean if Mohammed is the Prophet of God, and God is Omnipotent, then why would God or Mohammed need puny mortals to defend either their honor or authenticity to other puny mortals? Seems a bit beneath omnipotence in my view.
Since when would God or his right hand man pick the least articulate, least intelligent and therefore most socially backward and physically violent to carry their messages of divine Mercy?
Religion and Politics make terribly strange befellows. You can tell because their offspring speak out of two asses.
Had she been gently corrected by a respectable member of the Muslim community, I have no doubt she would have shown suitable embarassment over the mistake and asked foregiveness.
Instead all I see are wild eyed nuts threatening violence against a women for something that is inconsequential.
I mean if Mohammed is the Prophet of God, and God is Omnipotent, then why would God or Mohammed need puny mortals to defend either their honor or authenticity to other puny mortals? Seems a bit beneath omnipotence in my view.
Since when would God or his right hand man pick the least articulate, least intelligent and therefore most socially backward and physically violent to carry their messages of divine Mercy?
Religion and Politics make terribly strange befellows. You can tell because their offspring speak out of two asses.
# posted by 
: 5:54 PM
: 5:54 PM
"A recalcitrant teacher’s boss is now apparently the parent with the loudest complaint."
This seems to be the U.S. situation as well, and it is ridiculous.
It occurs to me that the parent who does this is being abusive to the child, because they ratchet up their tension levels by putting them in the middle of all this.
It is interesting how parents tend either to be neglectful or over involved.
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This seems to be the U.S. situation as well, and it is ridiculous.
It occurs to me that the parent who does this is being abusive to the child, because they ratchet up their tension levels by putting them in the middle of all this.
It is interesting how parents tend either to be neglectful or over involved.
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