Enrollment is up, and that’s good

Leonard Gray

The news that enrollment is up in the St. John and St. Charles parishes public school systems is welcome, indeed, showing as it does not only confidence in our school systems but also confidence in the continued improvement in our community.

There are many who have their children attend private schools and many who home-school their children – all of which are valid alternatives. However, it is the tax dollars of the community which support public education, available to all and intended without favoritism.

Public education has come a long way, struggling out of the post-Civil War years with tiny, one-room schools to slowly acquiring land, buildings and establishing institutions producing quality graduates.

Public education struggled for a while with racial desegregation and that hurdle was for the most part overcome. Some incidents did occur to scar our collective memories, but it was a test of our ability to learn new ways of thinking, more in line with proper regard for our fellow human beings.

In the past several decades, public education has rocketed forward, with innovative programs and techniques, all aimed at maintaining quality, setting higher standards and developing creative ways to help students learn, not only for standardized tests, but for life.

The world is an increasingly competitive place, as more and more high school graduates compete for jobs and colleges. More and more, employers and institutions of higher education are becoming more choosy, limited in their own ability to hire new entries to the workforce or admit new graduates. Scholarship money is tight, and resume writing is an art form unto itself.

In these times, it becomes more important to keep a public school system at its best, with the challenge to keep it there. We support these effort and want every student to succeed. Realistically, we know not every student will, but the other challenge to educators and parents is to direct efforts to keep opportunities open.

However, a well-educated child is a source of pride for an entire community, and we should all be involved.

LEONARD GRAY is managing editor of L’Observateur and may be reached at (985) 652-9545.