Nothing is more important for the developing child than to create a strong and healthy relationship with his/her parents. Community colleges and adult education programs offer fantastic courses in parenting which include information on infant development, sleeping habits, nutrition, sensory motor development, music, play, recreation, art, and positive discipline. Some programs offer information on the importance of reading to your child. Research confirms that parents who read to their children on a regular basis help them develop the neural pathways which support becoming successful readers.
It is unfortunate that there is so much discussion in Washington these days from the politicians about cutting back on educational funding. Back in 1984, President Ronald Reagan made it his mission to dismantle the Department of Education stating that it was a waste of taxpayer money. How absurd is that? If anything, the Department of Education needs to become stronger and more resourceful by helping needy students with student loans, pell grants, and student aid. The Department of Education spearheads important research that improves teaching methods and inspires students in their learning experiences. It makes certain that children receive the valuable educational experiences they are entitled to. Education needs a govermental presence as strong or even stronger than other governemental departments. Why should we have a Department of Defense or a Department of Health and Welfare more powerful and better funded than a Department of Education? Why aren't we spending more money on education and less on the military? Educational funding illustrates our excitement and support of the success of our children's future. Huge defense spending exemplifies our fears.
When I travel to Europe I am always amazed and envious at how most European countries provide free education for all academic levels: elementary, high school, college, and university. We don’t. We encourage college students to take out huge educational loans which strap them with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt by the time they graduate.
Education is the future of America and our students are the future leaders. We should never be having discussions on Capitol Hill about cutting back on money budgeted for education and educational research. We should only be having discussions on how we can cut back on other departmental expenses so that the Department of Education can work better and more successfully with state departments of education to improve edcuational opportunites and educational resources for our children.
John A. Tamiazzo, PhD is the Author of Returning to the Land of Oz: Finding Hope, Love, and Courage on Your Yellow Brick Road available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and Barnesandnoble.com
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