Apology, sorta - peeve, definitaly

I was just rereading my last post for probably at least the tenth time, and I got to thinking about what I said at the last of it. I'm sorry, but that is still how I feel about what goes on at a high school graduation. I said it was supposed to be a serious time in the life of the graduate. Well, 60 years ago, when I graduated from high school, things like that were major, serious, events in the lives of young people. But you know, I think I can realize that things are different now, it is a different time. All that "foolishness" the graduates do is not rebellion or meaning to be disruptive; I think it is just their way of celebrating the fact that they have finished their years of primary and secondary school. For many, this is the end of their school years. For some, there will be more years, maybe many more, before they have to face some of the realities of life. Now that I've done some serious thinking, I think I can understand why they do the things they do. That doesn't necessarily mean I like the idea, just that I think I understand.

Not long after I started these postings, I really vented about some of the things in the education system now. One of my biggest gripes, is the way the education system is taking such a beating in the state budget process. But I don't care how badly the system gets beaten by the budget cutbacks, I don't think that excuses letting kids go through school without learning some of the basics of life. Sure, they are teaching more advanced scientific and mathematical subjects than when I went to school, but darn it, when I graduated from high school, or even from grade school, you could read my writing, and I could at least use correct grammar and punctuation. (Belive it not - some times you wouldn't think so from reading these posts). About 10 years or so ago, I went to visit one of my grandkids at high school one day for some reason. One of the classes she was taking was "keyboarding" or learning to use the keyboard (type) on a computer. I was absolutely dumbfounded when she handed me a paper with an "A" grade on it. The spelling, punctuation, and grammar were atrocious. I was told, I believe by the teacher, that that was not the purpose of this class. In this class, they were just suppossed to prove they knew how to use the keyboard - the rest of it would be taken care of by another teacher!! To me, that just did not make good sense. "English" in all it's forms, should be a part of every class. I hadn't thought too much about it later, because I really wasn't involved in the kids school work, but I got an email from one the other day. This kid had finished high school, and I was really shocked at the email. It was almost as if the computer did not have capital letters, and maybe it is from texting too much on the phones, but spelling seems to have gone by the wayside. Now, this is really frustrating to me. Oh well, I guess, as I said, I am getting old!!

Well, I think that is enough for now, so That's all, folks!!