THE WORLD WIDE EFFORT TO DEFUND PUBLIC EDUCATION IS REAL
France’s schools are SO screwed up that they could easily be mistaken for a red state in the US. It's like they're mirroring the right wing policies in American education. And we all know how that usually goes - it always begins with defunding. But what's even more hilarious is that the media only focuses on culture wars issues, just like in the US. Sound familiar? It should, because it's right out of the billionaire's playbook for destroying public education.
Chronic underfunding has led to a record exodus of teachers, but the government is using populist policy as a cheap distraction. Instead of addressing the real issues, they'd rather create a controversy over what children are wearing to school. Yes, you read that right - what they're wearing! As if that's going to solve anything.
Politicians and policymakers are playing on the fear of Islam as an easy way to mobilize public opinion and pander to populist ideas. But let's be real here - what does a child's clothing have to do with their education? It's like trying to put out a fire with gasoline.
Staff shortages, long hours of teaching, some of the worst pupil-teacher ratios in Europe, and bullying are rampant in many schools. And it's no wonder that two cases a month of schoolchildren taking their own lives have been reported. French education has been the object of international concern for nearly two decades, among the EU countries where cultural and socioeconomic background has the greatest influence on learning outcomes.
French schools are reproducing social inequality, preventing the most severely disadvantaged students from ever escaping the unfair circumstances many of them grow up in. With state schools slowly disintegrating, more prosperous families are turning to private education, which also receive public funding. This raises questions about the national investment in children who need it the most.
It's like the French government is playing a game of Jenga with their education system - pulling out one block at a time until the whole thing comes crashing down. And what's left? A bunch of confused students who don't know whether they're coming or going.
But let's not forget about the funny side of things. It's like watching a comedy show where the jokes just keep coming. The French government is so focused on culture wars that they're missing the bigger picture. It's like trying to put a band-aid on a broken leg - it's not going to work!
So, what can we do? Well, for starters, we need to stop focusing on trivial issues and start addressing the real problems at hand. We need to invest in our teachers and our students, and give them the resources they need to succeed. We need to stop playing politics with our education system and start putting our children first.
In conclusion, France's education system is in dire need of a makeover. We need to stop pretending that everything is okay and start taking action. Let's invest in our future and give our children the education they deserve. Who knows, maybe one day they'll look back and laugh at how screwed up things used to be.
France’s schools are in crisis – and it has nothing to do with pupils’ dress | Rokhaya Diallo | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/20/frances-schools-are-in-crisis-and-it-has-nothing-to-do-with-pupils-dress
