by Jay Thomas Willis
�Guest Columnist�

I never will forget when I graduated from high school, the commencement speaker said, "For each of you, this should be a beginning rather than an ending." He was implying that a high school education should be a beginning rather than an ending. Too many of us take such a limited education as the end of our education rather than the beginning, and we get elated that we�re through with our formal education.

Education should be a life-long process. One should never quit learning until they�re cold and buried in the ground. Some people also get the idea that an education should last only as long as they�re officially enrolled in school. On the last day of school, I�ve heard many people say, "I�ll never read another book." I�ve also heard older adults say with pride, "I haven�t read a book since high school."

Our conditioning still leads us in many ways to be anti-education. Some Black students and others still see those who are aggressive and serious about their education as nerds and definitely un-cool. They�re often looked down upon and are unpopular. The athlete gets all the glory and the girls. Those who are frivolous about their education are more accepted in the in-group.

I recall graduating from the eight-grade and the twelfth grade. Though I came from meager circumstances, there was never any doubt in my mind that both occasions were beginnings and not endings. When I graduated high school, I knew I was going to continue my education, there were no other options for me personally. I kept thinking, there must be something more. Classmates laughed at me when I said I was going to college. They told me I couldn�t write, couldn�t speak, and that I was wasting my time.

My teachers, parents, nor any of my relatives encouraged me to go to college. I got no help from the counselor toward getting in college or getting a scholarship. But I saw college as a way to broaden my horizon.

When I took the ACT test for college I was hungry, distracted, unmotivated, couldn�t concentrate, had no preparation for the test, and didn�t know what to expect. I just started marking alphabets indiscriminately about three-fourths of the way through the test. I don�t know how I made a decent score, but still made a high enough score to get accepted to the college of my choice.

It�s sad that some students today who participate in eight-grade or twelfth grade graduations have made up in their minds that this will be the ending of their education�especially for eight graders. In most cases this is against their parents� wishes, but not in some cases.

Some students are tired of making poor grades; others don�t like the structure; some others feel they�re too grown and too smart to be sitting in someone�s classroom; others don�t have any further ambition. Many will quit because they can�t get the designer clothes they want, and feel they need a job.

Parents should not give an eight grader an option to drop out. One of the problems with teenagers today is we give them options when we should be making certain things mandatory.

For a twelfth grader, options should be considered. There are a number of factors to consider as to whether they should continue in school. Can the parents afford college? Is a vocational school a better choice? Does the student have a high enough motivation? Will the student only waste money as opposed to applying him or herself?

We must not forget that many students have been so turned off by the educational system, they choose to not continue in school. Of course, this is something you can�t blame the students for. In some cases both teachers and resources are inadequate.

It is truly tragic when a student would rather commit a crime and get confined in a correctional facility rather than continue in school. Some students are so beaten and overwhelmed by the educational system that they take this option. In some cases this is a deliberate choice. In some states a student is required to attend school until their 16th birthday. The only way they see around school is to commit a crime and go to a juvenile facility until they�re old enough to be independent. This is unbelievable, but some are so disgruntled with school that such a choice seems practical to them. Of course, the home environment and many other things play a part in such a decision.

Students need individual attention so they�ll feel motivated. Each student should be educated to his or her maximum potential. Students should be protected. Resources should be allocated on a more equal basis, rather than being based on the amount of taxes generated by the district in which they live. We need a system in place so students won�t see junior high and high school as endings rather than beginnings.

Parents should work with children from the time they enter kindergarten to assure they get the necessary motivation and resources to continue in school. Parents should be actively involved in activities at school, and know what their child is doing. A high school education should be the minimum amount of education allowed by law, unless there are extenuating circumstances why a student can�t continue.

With all the advantages some children have today, they should never doubt�they can achieve if they believe. Many of them simply don�t realize what they�re working with.

Good luck to all the May-June 2002 graduates, and keep in mind that the best is yet to come!