Education

A post from a professor of German on FB started a long thread of condolences and comments about kids today who think they don't have to do anything and should be given everything.  It started because a student didn't do an assignment and wanted an extension on the deadline.  He told her that she knew in advance the assignment was due on a specific day and she didn't do it, so the answer was no, she couldn't have an extension.  Her response was typical for someone in their twenties who has never been forced to do anything they didn't want to do.  She complained about having to learn a foreign language, even though she has no need for it and that it was only a check beside a long list of classes she has to take that won't help her in her major or future.  Her point was that the professor should give her a passing grade so she could go on with her life. 


My question is what happened to her in her childhood to make her think that anyone should give her anything?  Does the world owe her something simply because she was born?  She most likely thinks she's privileged because she was born in the United States of America and doesn't need to do anything to earn a living or her place in society.  The Mobile County School System is only exacerbating the problem by passing new guidelines instructing teachers  that they must give extensions to students for their assignments if they don't meet the deadline.  What do they think they are teaching the children?  If you don't have time to do your homework, it's okay, you can do it later.  You know, after you get finished watching all of your fave t.v. shows and facebooking all your friends and stuff.  Like whenever you get the chance. K.  What kind of education is that?  What kind of adults will they be?  Can our society survive with people who have this kind of mindset?  My thoughts on that are: 1) That's not an education.  2) They will expect deadline to be extended regardless of the circumstances. 3) Our society can't survive with people thinking that way.  Seriously.  Go to a third world country and live for a while, maybe then you'll see that life isn't all about what you want when you want it.  Make a contribution first and then maybe you'll have the right to ask for an extension on a deadline when you've just had surgery and need a few days to recover, or one of your parents die, or your child was just diagnosed with cancer.