Greetings, everyone

This is my entry to the #freewrite 5-minute exercise hosted by @mariannewest. See details here.

I was going to write a post about students’ irresponsibility as part of my series of Venezuelan cultural traits. When I saw this prompt I could not help thinking about that topic and I figured why not kill two birds with one stone.

_{This cartoon first came to me via Whatsapp. I am not sure about its original author, but it accurately depicts what education has become in many parts of the world. Whether the future will bring radical ideologies or religion to schools or parentless smartasses is still to be seen.}

Power House Creatives Logos FINAL.png

Irresponsible Me.

Personal responsibility is both underrated and in high demand in Venezuela. As a teacher, who was raised in the 70s under almost military discipline (which was shared by everyone around) the level of apathy of this young generation, as well as their level of mediocrity—only outdone by their disrespect, arrogance, and cynicism—affects me deeply because I count myself among those who believe that the future and prosperity of a country is directly proportional to the level of self and intellectual awareness and personal responsibility of their youth.

Students today, encouraged by a system that awards mediocrity, not only refuse to engage in intellectually stimulating activities, they denigrate those who do. Not only do they refuse to study, but also they demand academic promotion from one level to the next without delivering one single proof of proficiency, socio-academic engagement or the most basic forms of respect to authority, family, or institutions.

This has been the result of a populist agenda that made sure the poor will continue to be poor, the middle class will become poor and the rich will remain rich, with the shameful incorporation of a new class of corrupt, socially resentful, and intellectually handicapped nouveau riche.

[End of 5 minutes]
Power House Creatives Logos FINAL.png

After twenty years of progressive adulteration of our formerly excellent educational system, the results are out there for anyone to see. My wife, who teaches elementary school, was about to quit this school year that has just (FINALLY) ended because of irreconcilable “creative difference” with both 6th grade students and parents.

Students demanded time to play and do whatever they wanted and then when parents complained about their notebooks scant activity, they complained about the teacher’s lack of involvement and low academic demands. They misbehaved all the time, but when parents were summoned to the principal’s office, students complained about the teacher’s strict, disrespectful, and abusive behavior. Parents and students seemed to be working in tandem to demand an impossible kind of teacher that was both super devoted, inspiring, and demanding and super anti-intellectual, boring, and lenient.

It will be very hard for Venezuela to get out of the current crisis, even after a change of government if every player does not assume their personal responsibility.

If teachers do not teach and students do not study; if doctors do not safe life and police officers do not fight crime; if workers do not build and politicians no dot promote honesty, hard work, justice, order, and progress (while staying away from the school curricula); if churches do not teach values by example (while staying away from schools); if parents do not discipline, love, and care; if citizens do not demand their rights and fulfill their duties it will be impossible to transform our society for the better.

Source

But, why do I have to do it?
Because I, who am your mother, command you to.

If it is a matter of degrees, I am your daughter.

And we graduated the same day, didn’t we?

_{Kino’s Mafalda is actually one of my favorite comic strips. This one illustrates a behavior that has been exacerbated in Venezuela by a populist mentality that wanted “empowered” children who could claim their rights to no formal education and fight to the death anyone who dare challenge their “peace of mind.”}

Power House Creatives Logos FINAL.png