Sunday, November 25, 2012

Chapter 29: Pros and Cons of Deaf Residential Schools

I can see pros and cons of Deaf residential schools.  As great as the pros are (qualified teachers and a community of peers with which children can communicate), if I was a parent of a Deaf child, the cons would win for me and I would look into Charter schools.  Childhood is about more than education.  A parent-child relationship should be more than financial support and occasional in-person encounters.  I would not want to send my children to any type of boarding school whether it was a residential school for the deaf or a prep school.  I think it is more than just what the parents want.
"They believe that they can offer their children something that no dorm parent or teacher can.  They want their children coming home to them every afternoon; they want to talk with them directly about their everyday concerns and monitor their homework; they want to tuck them into bed at night."--pg. 178, p. 1
It's not a mere "want," it's a need.  Parents raise their children, it is what makes them "parents" as opposed to sperm donors and surrogates.  That's just my opinion on the matter.  If it was an option, I would look into moving to a city with a residential school for the Deaf that my child could attend during the day.  If that wasn't an option, I would stick to Charter schools.  

2 comments:

  1. I wouldn't want my kids to be sent far away to school, either. I think developing a great relationship with your family and having that loving environment is crucial for children. That's what I had and I want to be able to give my children the same experience.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like your idea of the daytime residential schooling. I can see the positive impact it can have on a child's education, but my family has only been very close so I am very proactive regarding family importance and ties. Schooling would be a very hard issue to choose if the situation every arose!

    ReplyDelete