Let down by the Education System once again!

Recently, you may have read or heard about Emil Cohen. The Northern Secondary School student who was suspended for calling a spade a spade. If you haven't, the full article is here courtesy of the Toronto Sun.

Emile simply summed up the challenges that faced the soccer team throughout the season. Unfortunately, each of the challenges were caused by the school's lack of support for the team and its players. Emile's recanting embarrassed the phys-ed department, and its teachers. The School backed the teachers lack of initiative, and suspended the student for 2-days. This is comparable to going to writing a news-article, criticizing governmental politics, and being incarcerated for 2-days. Are we living in North Korea? Do we want all our children to grow up as drones, living in fear that they can't publicly express their opinions? Emile spoke about sports at a sports assembly. It's not like he interrupted the annual "Grinch who stole Christmas" holiday musical. Emile took time at the right moment to discuss the challenges of the team.

As a student, I knew what it felt like to be under appreciated, and treated as a nuisance. I can recount many stories of how the education system let me down. If it weren't for a strong family system, and the very, very few educators who took the time to work with me, I could have easily been lost in the shuffle and dropped out. I really felt like most of the teachers didn't care. Most of the educators wanted to exact their life frustrations on a defenseless student.

We should be doing more to encourage our students. Instead of punishing them for wanting more support, we should be encouraging their enthusiasm. Using the interest and buzz generated by Emile, why didn't the school set-up a fund raiser for next year's soccer team, instead of suspending him, and removing all his phys-ed privileges? Evidently, it was easier to try and shut him up, and make an example of him, than to have to actually do something that might motivate the student body.

This is a prime example of the education system failing their students. The Belief today is "I am displeased with my job/boss/coworkers/funding/spouse etc. , so our kids are going to pay for it". What a horrible attitude to have when in a position of encouragement & education. What's worse, is that the school board approves this school's actions.

Our educators and school-board workers have chosen to work in the education field. Why don't they start acting like they care about the students instead of acting like they care about a paycheque?