I essay often over German issues, European issues, (both on this blog) and American issues (via my other blog). One of my American topics that I often essay on....is changing path and behavior issues of American kids. In this essay, I'll talk to the problem of behavioral issues for German kids and society problems in dealing with kids.
It's a piece that Deutsche Welle chatted about this week and it says a great deal about what's changed over the past couple of decades in Germany.
Up in north Germany, near Hanover....teachers and leadership at one particular school (Aue-Fallstein elementary) finally had enough and sent out a letter to the parents of the school (roughly 170 kids at this facility). Basically, they are fed up and want parents to help deal with extreme violent (often physical) behavior. Just talking to kids and using the normal set rules....won't work anymore with the teachers.
Kids stage fights both in the school and in the playground. Kids just get up and leave the classroom....often leaving the school itself.
The local folks tried to talk to the school leadership but they didn't really want to get dragged into some public forum, or didn't seem to want to admit how bad this had become.
We aren't talking about 5th graders or 7th graders.....these are first through fourth grade.
So what's the new firm measure? Your kid got issues today....they escort the kid to the director's office and call the parents....you need to come by and pick the kid up. They won't baby-sit the kid anymore. Oddly, the news folks say that the idea has not exactly worked because parents in some cases have refused to show up.
Five-day suspensions? More common. They admit that if there are physical injuries accomplished on a 'victim'....the cops get called, and there's some record-keeping going on.
The thing is....if you and look around Germany, everyone has little stories about this now. Lack of respect for teachers and authority. In ability to handle stress. Violence in the school.
It's not a US thing....it's a behavioral issue that is going across society. Remember, I was talking here about first-grade, second-grade, etc...types of kids. Just imagine what they will be doing in five years.
Why?
I think video-gaming made part of this possible. I also think the parenting behavior in Germany over the past twenty years has slipped. Patchwork family status might play some role. Fatherless homes, another possibility. Kids think they can act like some nutcase, and get away with it. There's no fear of repercussions or consequences.
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