Is This Work Required? The Answer You Need

Teachers are used to these questions from students: Are you going to take a grade? Is this required? Do I have to turn this in? But this virus, COVID-19, has altered the context and the discussion. Facebook is lit up with questions about whether students have to finish packets, complete all of the online assignments, and pick up textbooks or devices from school. The age-old questions still exist. So here, once and for all, are the answers that you and your children need.

Learning isn't optional! Let me repeat myself--since teachers never say things just one time. Learning isn't optional! I value the pursuit of knowledge for myself and my students, so this question grates like fingernails on a chalkboard when I hear it. It is the squealing sound of the disintegration of our society. Instead of education being an avenue for advancement and respect we have shifted the mores. Culturally in the US, education is to be avoided, the teaching profession is undesirable, and schoolwork is an intrusion on our free time activities. But this is a relatively new viewpoint that is not shared worldwide.

For instance, in underdeveloped countries, the pursuit of an education is the thwarted desire of children, especially women. Think about Malala. She was willing to risk her life for the right to go to school. Today, two-thirds of girls in South Sudan do not get to attend primary school. In Guinea, the average time a woman spends in formal education is less than 1 year. And girls have not been the only victions. During the Antebellum Period in the US, it was illegal for slaves to learn to read and write. Why? Because with knowledge comes communication, creativity, and control over the trajectory of life. Francis Bacon was right when he said that "knowledge is power."

So, parents, let's think about the way we discuss education and the questions we are asking in front of our impressionable children. You have the opportunity to change the conversation and the attitudes of those precious youth who are out of school. Here are a few responses to get you started:

1. Do I have to read a book today? Yes, in our family we read every day because there is so much to learn.
2. Why don't they just cancel school? Sweetie, in the US, we are so blessed to have teachers, schools, and the freedom to pursue an education. Don't ever take that for granted.
3. Do I have to complete this assignment? Yes, learning everyday is required.

And perhaps during this school shut down, we will all be able to reflect on what we had and took for granted--the right to a free, public education. School may not be in session, but learning isn't optional!

Coughlan, Sean. “10 Toughest Places for Girls to Go to School.” BBC News, BBC, 11 Oct. 2017, www.bbc.com/news/business-41558486.