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Pauline Brian

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How do you think school work is effecting teens?

Stress' effects
medical problems
emotional problems
resources

Topics: Teenagers a race to nowhere academic achievement anxiety college depression high school homework obesity stress
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    Verble Gherulous 20+

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    Jan 21 2012: Having been raised in the American public school system (I was forcibly evicted from England at an early age) and having had several children complete their education in the same environs (and one or two still in it), I can state my opinion about American education: it's a complete sham. The emphasis here is on state testing, so that schools can continue grasping at dollars to keep their doors open, while the Superintendents make half a million dollars a year in salary and the pool of teachershas been decimated in order to weaken the power of the unions.

    I do not mean to change the nature of your question by this redirection - that was simply to support my opinion that American teenagers can not learn anything from the system other than what they themselves can gain on their own desire. Simply, the only thing to learn in high school is how to develop good study habits. The teachers only job these days is to keep 35 students to stay in their seats and stop texting.

    I assist my youngest in their studies, and I exhort them to go beyond what is given to gain a deeper understanding of the paltry and rote work they are given. I say, Take what is rightfully yours (information and knowledge) and it is this skill (learning how to learn) which will help you in life.

    And lastly, God bless each of you teenagers, educated in similar systems everywhere, and I sincerely apologise that we adults have allowed this system to degrade to this farce masquerading as education.
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    Beste Arslan

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    Jan 21 2012: Being a teen myself,I think education isnt very effective.We are given information and facts that I belive are unneccessary.Most students just try to ' learn' those facts because of exams and then when the exams are over most of the information is forgotten...is that really 'learning'? In the end we are just left with a crowded exams timetable and piles of homework, which do nothing but create stress, let alone' teach' us anything useful .I think the purpose of education should be helping our youth reach their highest potentials,both academically socially and individually by making them aware of their talents/abilities/interests and encouraging them to follow those paths .

  • Zohaib Sadiq

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    Jan 18 2012: As a student, i can say i fully agree, the curriculum, at the moment, in England, is in itself boring. we are being pounded with information and not inspiration, kids are being taught how to read, and not what is suitable to read. Ask yourself, who do people drop out of Schools?
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    Walter Radtke

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    Jan 18 2012: School does nothing but create boredom and a sense of futility. Kids can learn more from their Internet connection than any school textbook can provide. There is a growing movement to create a fully accredited course of study from grade one through high school in a gamer format. Yes, you guessed it, kids will game their way to an education and my bet is that the result will be incredibly more effective than current pedagogical models, even progressive ones. Can we trust kids to educate themselves? Hell yes. Curiosity knows no bounds and if it is made fun enough, we'll have a nation of autistic savants in one generation. The old "fear - push" motivator will give way to the infinitely more flexible and effective "fun - pull" motivator. It's the adrenals vs. the endorphins.
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    Martin Varhnis

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    Jan 18 2012: Pauline, I think this question is multi-faceted.
    Certain school-work can no doubt be seen as pointless or stressful for no reason, but it depends on the level of education you may be referring to.

    Middle School/Junior High School: I feel as if most of the school and homework assigned throughout these years tends to be meant for growth; be it reading, writing, or arithmetic. The Iowa Basic Standard Tests taken by 7th and 8th graders in the United States display how well students are adhering to the education of that school based on Stanine Scores 1(low)-9(high). I never felt as if the school work in those grades was redundant or stressful as it was still somewhat new at that age.

    High School: This is where I can picture stressful assignments beginning to take an affect on young teenagers. Much english work and mathematics tends to be repetitive and long, as if the teachers are trying to pound in information. However, it's my opinion that the stress level in high school should not cause emotional or medical problems.. its just high school! There are many bigger problems in life besides having to write a ten-page paper on 'Things Fall Apart' by Achebe.

    And college is college. Everyone knows it's stressful, and some students get diagnosed with anti-depressants and anti-stressors in order to get through the madness.
    The effects of such stress, in my opinion, is a way to teach teenagers that life is stressful. Medical and emotional problems always occur in life because life is not a cake walk. Students must take advantage of the lessons learned through school work and the stress it may bring because their career will undoubtedly bring more stress than they've experienced before.

  • Xavier Belvemont

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    Jan 17 2012: I'm more concerned with the outcome from the current educational system than anything else.
    Here in England we have an excessively large number of individuals who leave with no qualifications, no abilities, no skills and the idea that education is not worth pursuing.
    An incredibly poor educational system that is based on potential exam questions (rather than vice versa) plays a significant role in causing this.

    It actually gets worse for many of those who do succeed especially in an economy like this, where most of the skills and qualifications you CAN manage to gain have to little/no relevence to any available work, so you typically have to compete for work with those who never bothered in the first place and are sometimes LESS likely to get it as most companies prefer to hire people who won't leave for better things.
    What a world we live in.

  • Pauline Brian

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    Jan 17 2012: I agree fully, and as a student myself I see the benefits, but it is the extreme amounts of work and emphasis on being accepted to a top college, that are causing high levels of anxiety, depression, and in some cases obesity in students. Students are working full days and then working full nights on assignments, and therefore no longer have an appreciation for learning and rather just try to get it over with. Is all of this stress necessary at a young age?

  • Zared Schwartz

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    Jan 17 2012: School work is needed. If it is not, explain why?
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