Fixing What’s Wrong With Drug Education
A recent survey conducted by Join Together a program of the Boston University School of Public Health shows that few teachers believe that alcohol and other drug prevention programs work. Only 2 percent of more than 3,700 respondents felt that their school-based prevention program is effective. The report says that teachers are skeptical of the prevention programs they deliver. It goes on to say that teachers cite the need more relevant study materials, more time to do prevention, more support, and more training.
Although more training and enhanced study materials would certainly do no harm, how does this change the current destructive belief permeating our schools and our culture that drug prevention doesnt work? It is not a matter of more time, more study materials, or more training, but a need for a fundamental change in how we define prevention, set prevention goals, and understand how children adopt and reinforce healthy and unhealthy behaviors.
For three decades the United States has been waging an expensive and ineffective drug war a war more political than practical. In 1993 the federal government spent $1.7 billion on the drug war and in 1999 17.9 billion. The most ubiquitous of drug education programs DARE (Drug Awareness Resistance Education) which was started in Los Angeles in 1983 is plagued by research showing its lack of effectiveness. DARE currently costs taxpayers between 1 and 1.3 billion dollars a year. In addition, the DARE programs premise that early drug education inoculates kids from future drug use in high school is both nave and lacking a fundamental understanding of child development. In the most recent survey of adolescent drug trends conducted by Monitoring the Future, 48% of 12th graders had a drink within the last thirty days and by the time a student graduates from high school nearly half have tried an illicit drug – most likely marijuana. While recent trends in drinking and drug use show decreases in most categories, underage drinking and most notably marijuana use remain a regular experience of teenage life. What have we gotten for our money? And how does the current drug education approach reflect the reality that most teenagers face every weekend?
Teenage drug use is normalized in our culture. By the time most teens reach high school, they accept alcohol and some drug use by their peers as a common social activity. The popular notion that drinkers and drug users are outcasts and deviants conveniently ignores the reality that many teens drink including student leadership, athletes, active and involved good students. Scare tactics and exaggerated drug effects only work when your audience does not have access to other information. This generation of students has more access to information than any other generation in time. This will most likely be the case for subsequent generations. Manipulation, coercion, and exaggerated claims are not tolerated by students.
Prevention programs need to support and validate those students who choose to delay their drinking and abstain from other drugs. Programs need to help students effectively communicate concerns to friends who may be experiencing problems with their drinking and drug use and to connect those friends to helping resources in the community. Finally, prevention programs need to offer suggestions to students to minimize the risks associated with drinking and drug use such as frequency and quantity of use. Promoting risk reduction strategies no more condones drinking than the suggestion of wearing a seat belt condones speeding.
We are in a crisis right now. It is not a drug crisis, but a crisis of belief and faith. We are loosing faith in the idea that we can be effective. We are giving in to the fear that any deviation from the path of abstinence-based zero tolerance education is an endorsement of drinking. The results of giving in to fear are the growing popularity of random drug testing programs, locker searches and drug sniffing dogs. We dont need to catch more kids, but to connect with more kids. We dont need to make an example of a student, but be examples for students of healthy living and compassionate care.
Physical Fitness Education As Part Of School Curriculum
Physical fitness is a tremendously important topic for school aged children today. These classes stress the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle that has become crucial now more than ever. With kids living a sedentary lifestyle and eating unhealthy diets, physical fitness should be a top priority in schools across this country. Unfortunately, due to budgetary constraints, many school districts are forced to drastically cut or completely eliminate this part of education.
It’s best to teach them young. If children learn proper physical fitness education they will build healthy habits for the rest of their lives. These physical education classes provide basic fitness knowledge and information about sports and athletic events and also impart health instruction in many school districts.
Health classes inform kids about the ins and outs of the human body, basic development, sexual education, and first aid training. If these topics are not taught in today’s schools, who will inform the next generation about these things? Physical fitness education is much more than playing dodge ball and other organized sports. Physical fitness education is about improving a child’s overall quality of life.
The President’s Physical Fitness program is one of the classic aspects of any physical education class. Children receive a certificate of achievement after they complete a series of tasks set by a Presidential panel. It is a matter of pride to receive this certificate. It shows kids of all ages and skill levels they can accomplish a goal.
Gone are the days when children walked or biked to school. Now, physical fitness education is the only means of exercise for many children in this country. These days, children are driven to school by a parent, car pool, or bus. In school they sit in a classroom, and at home they sit in their room and play video games, surf the internet, or watch television. The only physical activity they do during the whole week is in the physical education classes.
It’s your duty to raise your voice when you hear of plans to discontinue physical fitness education program in your child’s school. Talk about it to the Parent and Teacher Association or at a meeting of the school board. Try to suggest ways and means and offer alternatives, but make sure that the school continues with the programs without alteration.
It has been a common myth among parents that physical education is nothing but a distraction for the child. The importance of this session should not be undermined, as this is the base to introduce the children to a healthy life.
It is always good to motivate your child for taking part in various extra curricular activities. Set a fitness schedule for your child and make him head towards healthy living. Never forget that a child learns from adults, so you have to serve as a role model for him. Show him to live life the healthy way, by doing so yourself.
[Top]Why have people become interested in online education
People are increasingly showing their interest in online education. There are a large number of reasons behind this. If you are really interested in learning more while staying back at home, then the online universities are the best options. This is because for people with less amount of time the online universities are the best options. They can continue with their work while staying back at home and getting the study materials. They are grown enough to do their studies in time so that passing is not really a big problem.
Another very important function of the online school is the fact that you need not have to go to the spot where the classes are held. Classes will be held online. Thus you can find a wide number of opportunities to do some other work. Moreover, some people have problem in commuting. If you are one of them, then online university is the best option for you. It will give you the opportunity to pursue education on one hand and on the other make you extremely satisfied with the quality education that it will offer.
What are the things that are to be kept in mind while selecting an online university?
Get information about the online school from Internet: There are many things which you should keep in mind. The first and the foremost thing is to make sure that the university in which you are getting admitted has a good reputation. Since there are many reputed institutes, you have quite a good number to choose from. You can learn about the online school if you like from the co students and from the Internet which is the best option. By a look at the site you will get a fair idea about the school and the reputation that it has gained in the years.
Make sure that enough study material is supplied: Make sure that the study materials provided by them are adequate and that you dont need to buy a large number of other texts books in order to pass the examination. For getting this information, you have to ask the previous years pass outs. They will be able to help you in this regard from their own experiences. There are certain institutions which forces the candidate to buy books and notes from outside. This may be expensive at times and since you are paying for the online university it is the duty of the university to supply you as much material as is feasible. For this reasons, make sure that you get adequate materials from your online university.
[Top]Drivers Education How Parents Can Teach Their Children To Drive
Expectedly, it is not easy for parents to set their child freely on the road as we all know that driving is a quite scary especially that young drivers dont have enough driving experiences. However, parents should have a role in their kids drivers training as a support to a driving school instruction.
Teaching children how to drive should start with letting them know the importance of taking responsibility of their maneuver. It is through this learning that they are able to understand that they should be held responsible for their actions. They should know that driving is not a privilege but a right. While a driving school can inculcate basic driving knowledge and skills to students, parents can teach their kids in checking the oil, changing a tire and determining the right time the vehicle must be serviced. Parents should be more on the moral and emotional aspects of a drivers training which include letting them know that driving is not a hobby or a source of fun. They need to learn that responsible and safety driving is a survival means in todays times.
Parents who can have time to be with their children on the road will focus more on the applications of what they learned from a driving school. Proper parking, making turns and changing lanes with signals and obeying driving laws are among the most important techniques and learning that parents can teach their children.
When on a day for a driving practice, parents should let their child to know exactly where they are heading to. It is a smart idea to plan the driving practice with the intended route ahead of time so there will be no complications to come along the way. In the driving school, students will also have a behind the wheel training with their instructor and they can make more practices of this training with their parents.
For some people, driving can be learned easily but considering all the intricacies of the road, driving requires special skills. This is especially true when drivers have to drive through a bad weather condition such as in icy, foggy and stormy conditions. The basic driving concept in these conditions is taught in the driving school but it is possible that students are not practically exposed to all bad weather conditions during their training. Thus, as parents can be there in most of the driving periods of their kids, they can drive with them during a particular difficult road condition or at night.
Driving rules and laws vary from state to state and parents can have time to remind their kids about the restrictions of their driving rights. However, as parents spend time to teach their kids how to drive, they must make sure that they dont pass onto them their own bad driving habits. Parents should be the role models of their children so whatever their children can see from them they are likely to follow. Any driving school will also remind parents on this issue because the childrens learning will be nothing when they have to follow untoward driving practices from their parents.
[Top]Education Knows No Boundaries Now
Studying abroad has been gaining grounds as parents are coming forward to send their children to distant lands for higher education. This has numerous advantages. The students get to choose the best college or university for themselves as they are not restricted by territorial boundaries to gain an education. In their home country, everything is relatively easy and convenient for such children. In order for them to be individuals of substance, it is important that they experience these testing conditions wherein they survive on their own self and are dependent on no one else. The fact that they are all alone makes them boost their confidence to such an extent that they are willing to take up anything.
Moreover, every country specializes in a few courses that children opt for. It becomes extremely difficult for those who wish to pursue a career in something different to imbibe proper education. Territorial limits imposed on them mean that they study different courses although they have the aptitude of doing much better in a different stream. Studying abroad allows them to choose their own career in education and imbibe the best education from the best institutions based on their talent.
Change is inevitable and in the 21st century, these changes are brought about in short durations. In order for a child to become a man, he should be able to adjust and adapt to a changing or shifting environment and as such studying abroad really helps them in withstanding extreme conditions. For example, an Indian student is bound to be affected by the chilling cold in Canada but that is what makes him a survivor, a fighter and a man of real substance.
Having a global perspective in today’s world is a must. With the advent of the Internet, the world has become a much globalised place to live in. It is important for children to know various cultures, traditions, etc. Studying abroad takes them away from their comfort zone and pushes them into a new world of uncertainty. This experience of him is what would make him shape his life in the best way.
Not just this, students develop a different taste, different viewpoints and different perspectives to see real life experiences. There are pros and cons about every nation and it is only when a person visits another nation that he can distinguish between the two. A student understands the difference in political, economic and cultural scenario between two places.
Although studying abroad is quite an expensive ordeal, parents are still pushing for their children. In this world of ruthless competition, only the best survive. In order to be the best, students should have world class facilities and education at their disposal. Opening the doors to the entire world helps students reach out to the whole globe and learn more. Studying abroad is one of those important upcoming features that are sometimes primarily responsible for a very rational and practical outlook that a student imbibes. This is what sets him apart from the lot of others.
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