Techman said:
Actually you're right. We should just let everyone run wild in society and do nothing about it. Considering that kids aren't even allowed to fail a grade in school these days, or even marked on their grammar when handing in reports, because it might damage their little egos, I figure in about 15 years we will have a bunch of illiterate, disrespectful idiots on the job market. I hope that there are going to be enough mcjobs to keep them employed.
No question that our society is quickly losing its ability to keep order in several important respects. It is unfortunate that there are cases where there must be a bottom line, ie: the use of force. Whenever there is a use of force it is always under intense scrutiny and criticism by those misguided citizens who take the position that the use of force is never called for, period. This has given rise to a concern for litigation by anyone in the service of the public.
In education at one time there were two tenets which protected the teacher when confronted by the "bottom line" ie, a student who has failed to respond to reason. These were, the "in loco parentis" (in the place of the parent) clause and the "right and reasonable use of force" clause. Though the courts today sometimes do recognize these when litigation is taken against a teacher, they are swiftly being challenged by the more liberal elements of our society. Today no teacher in his/her right mind would dare to rely on them. The accepted practise today is that if a child goes on a rampage, throwing chairs through windows, overturning desks etc., the teacher is simply to shepherd the other children out of the room and let the child continue until some remedy is found. A teacher dare not even pat a child on the head today. Sound extreme?
One publication you might find good reading is the publication of the Ontario College of Teachers magazine "Professionally Speaking", (available online) the blue pages at the back. It gives a better idea of just how extreme it can get. I was talking to a teacher i met casually and he related a couple of real horror stories I might find there. I must confess I found them to be unbelievable.
You mention that kids lack respect. Many teachers today would simply settle for getting "deference" from the kids. And of course there are several other new wrinkles on the academic end of it (failing grades) thanks to our very vocal and misguided left wing idealists. So it goes.