Responses

From the Meridian Star...

Prekindergarten not a function of government
I just finished reading an interesting article by G. Edward Griffin about the difference between collectivists and individualists (http://www.freedom-force.org/pdf/futurecalling1.pdf).

Becky Trask (“State should fund ‘PK-3,’” Friday, April 28) is obviously a collectivist. She wants government to solve all our problems. According to her, the state should fund prekindergarten. Why?

All parents are perfectly capable of teaching their children, especially during the preschool years. But Ms. Trask is busy bemoaning the fact that private schools and churches bear the burden of prekindergarten (which was known as day care once upon a time) and that parents bear the expense of prekindergarten (as well they should). According to Ms. Trask, if taxpayers would just fund prekindergarten and put our children’s futures under government control, the world would be a better place. She also wants the government to force parents to send their children to kindergarten.

First off, the state government hasn’t been able to fully fund kindergarten through 12th grade yet. The last thing our public education system needs is more “hands” asking for money. Let’s provide the students already in the system with new textbooks, safe classrooms and teachers before we add additional demands on an overburdened system.

Secondly, parents need to assume responsibility for their children. Every parent is perfectly capable of teaching children their ABCs, how to count, simple addition and subtraction, their colors and how to behave. We don’t need government interference in raising our children.

Those parents who don’t wish to be burdened with raising their own children are “free” to seek day-care providers; they shouldn’t expect taxpayers to pick up the tab.

From the Clarion Ledger

'Pre K-3' program needed in Miss.
I thank Becky Trask for her guest column ("Pre-kindergarten programs will help our children, state," May 8).

I am grateful to find that someone else shares my opinion in that "Pre K-3" should be part of the standard state curriculum for Mississippi.

Many of our disadvantaged kindergartners are beginning school far below where they should be in order to participate fully in a kindergarten program.

Many of these children do not have the advantage of attending a quality early childhood program to provide the positive growth and life experiences necessary to develop crucial language, spatial and motor skills.

A state-regulated "Pre-K" program would provide them guidance from a certified early childhood teacher. They would be read to, play with building blocks, go on field trips, and interact with other children, in addition to having healthy meals.

The federal government should funnel the money from Head Start, which has not achieved the goals it was designed for, into the various state educational systems.

Mississippi's children deserve better. Mississippi can do better.