ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, May 8, 1993                   TAG: 9305100276
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

UNRULY KIDS HOLD SCHOOLS HOSTAGE

AN APRIL 16 Associated Press article in the Roanoke Times & World-News reported that Fairfax County in Northern Virginia has the highest per-capita income in the United States. Two days later, The Washington Post reported on the routine in-school cursing of teachers by students in the Fairfax school system. A teacher was told by a 14-year-old to, "Go to hell, [expletive] you," when the teacher said stop talking in class. Another teacher got, "Shut up, bitch," when she told a 17-year-old how to avoid being continually tardy. And on and on and on.

These undisciplined, ignorant juveniles say they are being embarrassed in front of their peers and "disrespected" when given normal classroom directions and commands. Some offenders may get detention and a few repeaters might get expelled, but the problem is so widespread that most, apparently, get nothing.

That this is happening in the nation's most affluent county and, especially in Virginia, is incomprehensible. That this type of conduct is allowed, permitted or accepted is astounding. Aside from the fact that these students are learning nothing that will fit them for responsible citizenship, their disruptive conduct most certainly adversely affects those who do desire to learn and to achieve. And that is a crime that should not be permitted.

Any student in the Virginia public school system who cannot or will not respect authority and follow the rules of conduct should be permanently expelled. Any school administrator who permits disruptive student conduct should be fired. We and our tax-supported educational system should not be held hostage by undisciplined juveniles, most of whom, regardless of what we do, will grow up to be self-centered, undisciplined, irresponsible, tax-supported adults. And no warm and fuzzy, bleeding-heart liberal social engineer is going to change it. Even in affluent Fairfax County, a stable family and a meaningful high-school diploma are the bedrock on which responsible citizenship begins. RICHARD K. CULBERTSON BLACKSBURG 


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