School Suspension

Don't mind the grammar, I have so much to say and I'm just going to go nuts on the keyboard.

Today, I read an article which discussed how many children in public schools are suspended far too many times and far too quickly. The fact that this article is even being issued is a great factor, it is paired with actual case studies of children who are outlining when and for what they were suspended for as well as outlining where they are now in life. Many of these students are in university and are off to being great young adults. One student outlined that he skipped class to attend a funeral and was suspended, another admit to smoking pot on school grounds and was still suspended. This causes confusion because it is to my understanding that missing class for a funeral is a legitimate excuse. The parents of the student should have been asked if this excuse was valid and therefore, the student would not have to be punished for something they did not lie about. Also, a child that admits should be rewarded not punished, if I were to tell the truth and got suspended anyways - next time, I would lie and maybe that would help me not get suspended. Children are sensitive, they are going through tough times, trying to find your identity, a nice boyfriend/girlfriend and good friends at the same time as studying and trying to get good grades is hard. The social aspect of school becomes way too much to deal with and kids often have their slips. The fact is schools are very quick to suspend children for things that aren't fair, it is the reason why the statistics of schools are slipping more and more every day.

In my opinion, I'd say that children should not be suspended for everything and anything they walk into the principal’s office with; if anything they should receive in-school punishment. Every school should employ a social worker (so not saying this for my own personal reasons ;) ) or someone with qualifications to deal with students who can talk with the student when they are suspended and hear their side of the story. Principals, vice-principals and teachers often have too much paperwork and other things to do so it is easy to just suspend them. Children should be sent to a social worker to discuss what they feel or what's been going on and a report should be attached to the students file to allow the other staff knows what these issues are. Every student is not the same and this is something students hate the most; they are individuals and are trying to make their own identities so grouping them together just makes them more angry. Work with the students not against them! If every student talks to a social worker than attends a classroom to do a couple of anger management or behavioural classes than suspension won't be like an early march break anymore - it'll be like school without a lunch break! Journalists need to keep tabs on statistics of schools, suspension rates and such so that staff of schools can be aware of the problems that are out here and maybe they will start changing their ways. Keeping school staff aware and keeping children in-school for suspensions is the way to go!