Whatever happened to the strap?

Hitting the ground at terminal velocity is a very good reason to wear a parachute.  Consequences are the driving force behind all of human behavior.  If I don't work, I don't eat.  If I speed, I crash.  If I steal, I go to jail.  Remove consequences and the system falls apart.  So why does the Edmonton school system see it necessary to remove consequence?   

In a recent interview, the CBC addressed an Edmonton teacher that was allegedly suspended for going against the system and holding kids accountable for their missed assignments.

Being married to an educator, I hear firsthand what is going on in the classroom.  Students are permitted to attend as much, or as little of the classes as they feel suited.  If they miss a test day, they can rewrite at a later date of their choosing, and in some schools will be assigned a mark from another assignment if they choose not to write.

I almost seem a bit old fashioned.  I did have my birthday today, and perhaps it’s catching up with me.  This infuriates me to see something as critical as education reward behaviour that is even below mediocrity.

If only we could bottle Kung Fu values and sell them as energy drinks.  We would have less insubordination, more accountability, punctuality, and discipline.  As it sits right now, we are hucking the kids out the Cessna door, with nothing more than a knapsack and telling them the landing will be a breeze.