Fines for Playing Hooky

LloydXmas

I don't normally post in the AMT, but this is going on in My home town. Personally, I'm for it. What are your thoughts?

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2012 ... 997263.txt

NEW BRITAIN — New Britain's schools superintendent says students who play hooky should be fined as much as $75.

The New Britain Herald reports that Superintendent Kelt Cooper is proposing that city councilors enact an ordinance fining truants. A recent study found that 48 percent of New Britain High School students are chronically absent.

Cooper, who took the school district's top job last month, is proposing fines on students between the ages of 6 and 17 who are found unattended by a parent or legal guardian between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on school days.

The Common Council would decide on the amount of a fine, but Cooper suggests $75. He says it has enough of a sting to have an effect

lukin2006

Maybe they first need to look at why the truancy rates are so high...

keeponrockin

If they don't show up to class and it effects their performance, they fail. That should be the punishment. If they don't show up and still kick ass, no punishment.

JOEJOEJOE

If they don't pay the fine, will they be expelled?

If too many kids fail in school, all of society gets punished in one way or another.

hedonist

I think there is/was a similar proposal out here, but not sure if it passed or not.

I believe many schools receive funds based on student attendance, so maybe it's a two-birds-with-one-stone type of thing - cut back on truancy in the hopes that the kids who show up actually learn something, and recoup some of their financial loss.

I kinda agree with keeponrockin on this.

catefrances

lukin2006 wrote:

Maybe they first need to look at why the truancy rates are so high...

^^^ this.

justam

lukin2006 wrote:

Maybe they first need to look at why the truancy rates are so high...

I agree. If the environment was right, students wouldn't want to stay away!

Newch91

What the hell are they doing down there in New Britain?

Waterbury has its own problems right now in education.

Zoso

the fact they are missing school and an education is big enough consequence for mine.

catefrances

Zoso wrote:

the fact they are missing school and an education is big enough consequence for mine.

this is true but kids dont see it that way.for a lot of them school is something that is to be endured til theyre old enough to leave. but then again i dont think high school is the be all and end all of education so...

comebackgirl

we got a McDonald's breakfast if we made it through the marking period without an absence That may have been more of a punishment now that I think about it, but it worked at the time.

I agree that it's important to look into the reasons for truancy, although that might be complicated. Some kids are not challenged by the work and find the hours spent at a school a waste when they can zip through the work on their own, others can't do the work and might not be getting adequate help so they avoid it, some might be avoiding school because of something happening at school or at home...I'm sure the reasons are endless.

catefrances

comebackgirl wrote:

we got a McDonald's breakfast if we made it through the marking period without an absence That may have been more of a punishment now that I think about it, but it worked at the time.

I agree that it's important to look into the reasons for truancy, although that might be complicated. Some kids are not challenged by the work and find the hours spent at a school a waste when they can zip through the work on their own, others can't do the work and might not be getting adequate help so they avoid it, some might be avoiding school because of something happening at school or at home...I'm sure the reasons are endless.

the school system treats every child the same. its like a factory of dubious knowledge... in one end at 4/5/6 and out the other at 17/18. its standardised as are the results. but what it does it teach kids to conform(not all of them of course but enough) and be good little citizens.

comebackgirl

catefrances wrote:

comebackgirl wrote:

we got a McDonald's breakfast if we made it through the marking period without an absence That may have been more of a punishment now that I think about it, but it worked at the time.

I agree that it's important to look into the reasons for truancy, although that might be complicated. Some kids are not challenged by the work and find the hours spent at a school a waste when they can zip through the work on their own, others can't do the work and might not be getting adequate help so they avoid it, some might be avoiding school because of something happening at school or at home...I'm sure the reasons are endless.

the school system treats every child the same. its like a factory of dubious knowledge... in one end at 4/5/6 and out the other at 17/18. its standardised as are the results. but what it does it teach kids to conform(not all of them of course but enough) and be good little citizens.

that sucks for the kids that don't learn in traditional ways. It can be self-esteem building or breaking, depending on the kid, although some teachers are really gifted at tailoring their approach to fit the student.

Zoso

comebackgirl wrote:

we got a McDonald's breakfast if we made it through the marking period without an absence That may have been more of a punishment now that I think about it, but it worked at the time.

I agree that it's important to look into the reasons for truancy, although that might be complicated. Some kids are not challenged by the work and find the hours spent at a school a waste when they can zip through the work on their own, others can't do the work and might not be getting adequate help so they avoid it, some might be avoiding school because of something happening at school or at home...I'm sure the reasons are endless.

I went to the wrong school .. but there wasn't really any issues with wagging (this possibly isn't the term in america) school at Strathalbyn High School :roll:

Obviously the only kids that you didn't see as much were the kids who struggled at school.

know1

lukin2006 wrote:

Maybe they first need to look at why the truancy rates are so high...

The rates are high because there are no fines now.

Zoso

know1 wrote:

lukin2006 wrote:

Maybe they first need to look at why the truancy rates are so high...

The rates are high because there are no fines now.

were there ever fines? I'm sure school truancy has increased but I think it has more to do with the fact that the education system isn't up to par with what it use to be. Education isn't valued and therefore students slip through the cracks.

BinauralJam

Kids have the right to an education, they should also have the right to reject that education, without fines.

PJ_Soul

LloydXmas wrote:

I don't normally post in the AMT, but this is going on in My home town. Personally, I'm for it. What are your thoughts?

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2012 ... 997263.txt

NEW BRITAIN — New Britain's schools superintendent says students who play hooky should be fined as much as $75.

The New Britain Herald reports that Superintendent Kelt Cooper is proposing that city councilors enact an ordinance fining truants. A recent study found that 48 percent of New Britain High School students are chronically absent.

Cooper, who took the school district's top job last month, is proposing fines on students between the ages of 6 and 17 who are found unattended by a parent or legal guardian between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on school days.

The Common Council would decide on the amount of a fine, but Cooper suggests $75. He says it has enough of a sting to have an effect

I got As in high school and got a modest academic scholarship out of it, plus I was active with extra curricular, but I only went to maybe half of my classes in grades 11 and 12. They felt like a waste of time for me, and I guess I was right, given my grades compared to my attendance record (not trying to toot my own horn... university was as challenging as it was supposed to be for me... for the most part). Perhaps only fine those students who suck at school because they're playing hooky, and leave the ones who don't have to go to class to do well alone? I don't see the point in wasting their time.
Or just leave them alone past the age of 16, and give detention to the younger ones. Fining them seems stupid. Talk about a fucking money grab.