There have been other changes since the last time I wrote about schools in Israel. A couple of years ago, many schools began requiring the students to wear uniforms. Now nearly half of the public schools in the country have a dress code. This seems to be just one step among many being considered to improve discipline in the schools. Some supporters of uniforms say dressing alike helps blur the socio-economic differences among the students. Others say the uniforms promote within the students a stronger identification with and support of the school. These may well be true, but it also seems to me that by requiring a uniform, the school's administration is saying to students, "you are under our authority while you're here." Based on my experiences, I would say that is a much-needed lesson these children need to learn.
Also under consideration is the return of the policy of students being required to stand when the teacher enters the classroom. In addition, students would be expected to address the teacher, not by his or her first name (as they do now in many schools) but as "Teacher". I am also in favor of these changes, and not only because my own interactions with teachers when I was a student were of a more formal nature. I believe knowing you must show respect for your teachers instills in students the habit of decorous behavior at school. Whatever you might say about Israeli schoolchildren today, it's doubtful you would use the word decorum in the sentence, except perhaps to point out the lack thereof.
For parents of school-age children, the first day of school can be like New Year's Day. Our lives make a sudden shift. From the lazy calm of summer, we jump into the structure and schedules of school time. This morning, teachers greeted parents and children alike with the same words they use on Rosh Ha'Shanah (the Jewish New Year): "Shanah tova" (a good year). Now, the first day of school is behind us. The remainder of the year lies before us, brimming with hope and shimmering with possibilities. Let's make the most of it. |
