With that said, my position is pretty simple: I believe that the "free and public education" all Americans have a right to should become a privilege instead of a right.
Article XII of the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man (1948) states that:
"Every person has the right to an education, which should be based on the principles of liberty, morality and human solidarity.
Likewise every person has the right to an education that will prepare him to attain a decent life, to raise his standard of living, and to be a useful member of society.
The right to an education includes the right to equality of opportunity in every case, in accordance with natural talents, merit and the desire to utilize the resources that the state or the community is in a position to provide.
Every person has the right to receive, free, at least a primary education."
However, education has become a mandate. Don't go to school and see how long it takes before a truant officer comes knocking. Education is the only "right" like that. If I don't exercise my right to free speech, nothing happens to me, but if I choose not to go to school, my parents get a fine? Does that seem consistent?
I'd also like to call attention to the atmosphere in schools. A large portion of time is spent dealing with students who don't want to attend school, keeping them focused, on task, and in line. With several teachers as family members, I know that there are certain students teachers wish wouldn't show up to school, simply because they're a distraction and nothing ever gets done when they're around. Being a student, I know several others who wish not only to be out of school (does anyone actually love school?) but wish to disrupt everything they can. If I have to go to school, I might as well get something out of it.
It's no secret that America doesn't do as well academically as, say, Japan (and I'm not advocating that the U.S. do anything as severe as the Japanese do). Not to...