C H A N G E

              Lines form as a bell rings. It is time for everyone to enter and begin their day of learning. Students follow a schedule from one classroom to the next, heedless if they need to learn more of the previous subject. There is more to learn, more too forcefully stuff into their heads so that they can pass the test. It does not matter if they remember it next year, does not matter if it aids them in the future.  All that matters is the golden number, the high score. The same comes when the students venture into athletics, the goal not being exercise or a release of energy but winning the game. Then comes their lunch for the day: five cooled tater tots, half of a banana, and a heaping spoonful of coleslaw with a carton of milk to top it off. There are laws of course, but the school is more inclined to listen to money then care about a rule that insures the children’s health. Punishment comes when midday they lack energy and attention spans. They feel like they are wasting their time, not learning. Perhaps they are right and they are wasting their time.  The dropout rate climbs higher and higher as students leave to find something more worthwhile than education. So why is it that we keep pushing a system that binds children to failure? Why is it that we focus on numbers instead of learning? Perhaps it is time for a new playing board and a new set of rules. Perhaps it is time for a change in the education system.