THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 26, 1996 TAG: 9604260016
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A18 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
Yesterday was the fourth annual Take Our Daughters To Work Day. Across Hampton Roads and around the nation, girls skipped school to accompany a parent to work.
As in years past, the occasion sparked howls of protest from parents of boys who condemned the occasion as sexist.
Other critics objected to girls in the workplace on the grounds that children ought to be in school on school days.
The Ms. Foundation created Take Our Daughters to Work Day in 1992 to boost girls' self-esteem and self-confidence by giving them a first-hand view of the workplace. The rationale was that seeing successful women in good careers would encourage girls to set their sights on top jobs and nontraditional occupations instead of settling for low-paying work.
A noble idea. But we prefer a Take Our Children to Work Day. And we think it ought to be during summer vacation. Students spend precious little time in school anyway. When they are given a day off, the message is loud and clear: School is not all that important.
But the truth is that without a good education, job opportunities are severely limited, for both boys and girls.
Let the children spend the school year in the classroom. Give them something to break the monotony of the long summer holiday by inviting youngsters into the workplace one day in July or August. by CNB