In my French 201 class this week, we talked about the education system in France. It was really interesting in that there is no option of homeschooling or alternative education (only one private Roman Catholic option, no charter schools or ALCs). They have their system regulated to the extent that each child learns everything within the same year, no matter the location or school. Each child in the third grade learns to play the recorder, all sixth graders learn about the French Revolution through a certain text book, etc. All education is free, the government can sue parents for not sending students to school, BUT there are no school athletics, clubs, or ensembles. It is 8 am to 5 pm academics 5.5 days a week (half day Friday and school on Saturday).
I was really surprised at the lack of extra curriculars. I tried to imagine going to such a school, and saw it lacking school spirit and sort of a sense of community. Our instructor said that the high school and college suicide rates are much higher in France. When asked why, she explained that with fewer outlets available, people end up isolated and unsuccessful more easily. If you're in a school that specializes in math, and you don't do math well, odds are that you're not going to do well academically, socially, or mentally.
This leads me to wonder, What is a school's role in general well being of students? Luther College not only offers, but requires, Personal Fitness and Wellness, which I've heard from many students to be a joke of a course. When I took it, I saw good intentions, but not so excellent execution of those intentions (but that's beside the point).
A school's role is to educate, but how does one define "educate". As a hopeful future educator, I've found my definition of education to be the development of a person. For me, that includes physical, emotional, social, and cognitive. Through these facets, I believe education can help to form a fully functioning, thoughtful, intentional person.
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