The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Our Readers Speak

February 26, 2010

Our Readers Speak — Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010

— Education suffering because of snow



As a senior at Shady Spring High School, I have enjoyed the seemingly endless strings of snow days that have been called in Raleigh County.

Unfortunately, as a forward-looking student, I have begun to worry about how greatly my education is being affected by the loss of class time.

Very soon, I will no longer be competing against West Virginia’s “Content Standards and Objectives,” or CSOs, I will be competing against students from around the world as I begin my studies at Washington and Lee University this coming fall.

To me, although I find snow days to be a grand break from school, the amount of snow days that have been called must certainly hinder the education of students like myself who will soon be continuing their education or entering the evermore competitive workforce.

A whole argument can be made as to whether the school calendar should be edited to allow for a reasonable amount of snow days; however, my argument is to look closer at how snow delays and closings are called. For instance, if the Shady Spring area has been bombarded with snow, but the Woodrow Wilson (Beckley) area is only moderately covered, there is no reason to close both schools, simply because they are in the same county lines. It is just not fair to students.

Moreover, if a school day is canceled or delayed because buses cannot reach many of their students, why can’t schools open the doors to students who are able to travel via their own automobiles or in those of their parents?

Some will argue that doing so is unfair to students who cannot drive themselves or be driven by friends or family members.

Although this may be so, I believe that helping a portion of students is always better than helping none at all.

Students in the deepest hollows of Raleigh County have made their ways to the cinemas and shopping centers in Beckley.

Clearly, snowy roads do not hamper one from driving to fulfill their entertainment needs.

That said, I am neither asking for any colossal changes in the school system, nor am I asking the school system to put the physical well-being of students on the line.

I simply ask the school system to hunker down, accept that this winter will probably give us even more of the white stuff before the season is through, and allow students the opportunity to — if safe to do so — attend school.



Christian Martine

Daniels

 

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