DATE: Saturday, August 16, 1997             TAG: 9708160020

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B8   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: OPINION 

SOURCE: BY EDWARD G. KREYLING JR. 

                                            LENGTH:   70 lines

STUDENTS MUST TRY TO LEARN

Again the annual test scores are out, and again there is the wringing of hands about the low test scores of African Americans and promises of improvement. This has been going on for years. But once the test scores are forgotten, so are the promises.

I seldom see anything concerning what is the first obvious problem: Many students don't want to do the work necessary to get an education. Somehow they believe that they can be given an education without effort on their part. They will not pay attention in class, they will not try to do work given in the classroom and they will not do homework. Under these circumstances, even the best teacher cannot educate these students.

Before I am accused of being a racist, it must be realized that there are just as many Caucasian students as African-American students getting little or no education. Because of the larger number of Caucasian students, the percentage is smaller, but there are many white students unwilling to do the work necessary to get a first-class education.

Our real problem is that we don't want to give up on these students but we are unwilling to take the tough actions necessary to solve the problem. By expressing concern and pledging improvement, the problem is ``solved'' for a year. There is no reminder during the year because test scores are reported only annually. Parents and the public think there will be improvement, but in the past it just hasn't happened.

If such students were all assigned to one school (Baby Sitting High), there would be a constant reminder to students, parents, administrators and board members that students in that school were not willing to do what is necessary to obtain an education. Parents who wanted their children educated would have to help change the attitude of their children. Students swayed by peer pressure to be cool and uneducated would find themselves in a school known as a haven for lazy students, one without the fun parts for students. The decision to avoid an education will adversely effect their lives, and they cannot recognize that too soon. A report at each meeting on the number of students in the school would keep administrators and board members aware of the problem.

While the State Constitution says that all students must be educated, this cannot be done without a great deal of help from students. No one can give a student an education. Parents often feel that a student is being educated as long as the student is in school, even when the report card shows the students failed every subject. Educators hate to admit failure (Who willingly admits to failure?), and they do not keep the subject on the front burner.

Businesses regularly get reports on how things are going. There are many daily reports and major monthly reports. Schools have only annual reports, although students do get periodic reports. No action is taken on these periodic reports, so they are often completely ignored by parents and students. How many parents go to see the teachers? Students who do pay attention to these reports do not have an attitude that will cause them trouble in school.

Parents must be made to realize that they are responsible for the education of their children. Responsibility for daily efforts can be assigned to teachers, but the parents must retain the responsibility for monitoring the results and taking corrective action when necessary. Parents must assume responsibility for the attitude of the children toward an education.

It is hard to manage any operation without proper information. Once a year is not enough! One of the advantages of home schooling is that the parents know daily how much each child is learning. Such knowledge is harder to obtain when there is less daily contact.

Removing disinterested students would certainly improve the education of the rest of the students. MEMO: Mr. Kreyling is a former Virginia Beach School Board member and a

retired Norfolk Southern vice president. He is a volunteer math tutor in

Virginia Beach public schools.

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