Letter to the Editor

Blame the parents

To the Editor:

Alex Wong's column ("Philly teachers need a lesson on selfishness," The Daily Pennsylvanian, 10/30/01) assumes that bringing in Edison Schools to sweep up the mess that is known as the Philadelphia School District will improve the quality of the school system. While I agree that Edison has prior successes in other cities, it will not be the cure for the real problem -- the parents of these students.

My mother has been a teacher in Philadelphia for almost 30 years. From her experiences, she has told me that the failure of students to learn is a direct result of poor parenting.

Think about this. We are all here at Penn because at a very young age, our parents instilled in us a desire to learn and excel. I'd bet that most of us were reading at an early age.

Today's students are often abandoning books for video games and television. Parents are not taking the time to read to their children, to help them with their homework and to inquire about what they are learning. This is happening even before these children enter the school system.

Teachers should not be the substitute for poor parenting. Don't blame the teachers, including my mother, for a job that the parents have neglected for years.

Harris Arch

Wharton '03

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