comprehensive schooling

One of the things that those who watched the BBC video on Finland's schools would have noticed is what they call the comprehensive school concept. The students are not segregated with regard to learning potential, but are all in the same classes from first through 9th grades. We make the mistake of dividing kids for "gifted and talented" programs to alleviate boredom, and to give special attention to those with learning disabilities. But the segregational aspects of that concept have long term consequences. Some kids are branded as dummies, even though they may have great intelligence and potential outside of reading and math. Some kids are placed on pedestals and may arrive at false notions of superiority. Some children's maturation may be delayed or simply advanced. When children in classrooms have the opportunity to express a wide variety of intelligences, children learn that each may be very good at something and that all children have something of value to contribute to the overall classroom learning experience. When children are all together in a classroom, they learn that they can help one another. Can you see that we have become diminished as a society by a few simple things that we seem to have not known or forgotten?

In addition, new research confirms that Screen time is hazardous to children's emotional and psychological well-being. The American Council of Pediatrics therefore recommends that children be allowed to watch less than one or two hours of quality programming each day. This new research adds a new layer of understanding in that physical activity had been thought to alter the adverse effects. It does not. According to Carolyn Landis, a licensed clinical psychologist and an associated professor of pediatrics at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland,

"It's also important to know that you can have a really active, athletic child, but it's still not OK for them to spend three hours a day on the computer."

The study confirms the direct relationship between between the amount of time spent on computers and watching TV and anti-social behavior, attitudes, and psychological problems.