Schools are supposed to encourage learning, apparently the Buffalo schools have a policy that actually discourages learning, as noted in today’s Buffalo News.

On some days, as few as three of 25 registered students show up for Bonnie Campbell’s art class at Buffalo’s Lafayette High School.

And in Rhonda Mathiebe’s health class, attendance dips as low as eight of 32 students.

Teachers place much of the blame on a new grading system that allows many students to pass their courses even if they don’t show up for the second half of the school year.

Many students have learned that, if they earn an 80 average through the first half of the school year, they can skip the rest of year and still pass. The lowest grade the district gives is 50, so that grade averaged with the 80 results in a passing grade of 65.

How is a child (or teenager) supposed to learn responsibility when they can do work that is worth a big, fat “0″ and still get a “50″ for a grade?

This is just more evidence that the Public school system is a failure. The number of students entering college and requiring remedial, not-for-credit courses is ridiculous. The standards need to be raised, not lowered. Effective teaching methods need to be used. The schools need competition. This will only happen when parents can use vouchers to choose which school their children will attend. Governement sponsored schools do not work. They turn into a giant, sucking money pit while turning out students that do not even possess rudimentary reading, writing and math skills. Competition would end this horrific pattern. The good schools would flourish and the bad schools would fade into the sunset.

There are many legitimate complaints that the schools can’t be fixed because of the power of the unions. Instead of attacking the unions, give the students a choice. That will take care of the union problem. The unions will either change for the better or the schools they control will fail and soon they will have no power.