Lakewood schools rules
Here are the rules given out to parents of children in Lakewood schools:
posted by Yeshiva Orthodoxy
at 3:49 PM
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Here are the rules given out to parents of children in Lakewood schools:
13 Comments:
Let's start teaching self-control rather than banning devices that can be used in a perfectly kosher way. While I won't be providing my child with a cell phone, I don't see any reason why I cannot lend my own kid my phone so she can call me when she is done with an activity and needs picked up. Plus, I am not stupid. I can monitor the numbers my kid is calling. I do get a monthly statement. And, I am watching my money too much to pay for services like text messaging or internet.
As Rabbi Matisyahu Solomon said at the asifa you don't let children drive a car, or adults disobey speed limits and traffic lights.
You might not be stupid, but your kids are smarter when it comes to filling their wants.
In today's world when we keep on restricting more and more the bubble will burst. We have to explain to our kids why things are wrong not hide and think that they will remain stupidly ignorant. If a child has not been given a value system he won't know how to cope when he is faced with a challenge.
As far as R' Salamon's comment, it is easy to speak broadly and condemn than to give solutions and assistance to a severe problem.
I don't care for the shmutz on the internet (although I have yet to even land on a shmutz sight) and I don't like the cell phone culture at all, but to ban all students from using a cell phone (period) is just impractical.
The parents should be given an active role in raising their child and the school should assist in suggesting appropriate limits. But, I think that "rules" like these:
1. Demonstrate distrust in the parents' judgement.
2. Don't take into consideration circumstances that are beyond the author's imagination.
3. Don't allow parents' to use their own judgement while teaching their child discretion and discipline.
As always, the Rabbonim are absolutely right and must know what's best for everyone. I mean they're Gedolim, right? However, I think they're being very lenient. I don't think cars should be allowed at all. Cars provide a means to go places you shouldn't go. We have buses and Monsey Tours to take us to the places we should go. Actually, now that I think about it, children should not be prermitted to travel on public transportation either. The fact that there are 'goyim' and advertisements show us that they should be taken everywhere by their parents. Just not in a car cahs v'shalom.
These people are so out to lunch, it's not even funny. And I quote:
"Text messaging and the calling of 'non-kosher numbers' has R"L been a source of ruin to many Talmidot."
Now, let's analyze this: Text messaging, ein hachi nami, they could end up chatting with boys, etc.
Non-kosher numbers??? note that this is invariably a euphimism for 1-900 numbers. Let me get this straight, then. MANY GIRLS from Lakewood high schools have been ruined by calling 1-900 numbers? I don't know what you've got in the water over there in Lakewood, but that sounds pretty bizarre.
Hey Anonymous, who pays for the 900 number calls? Are the parents too busy to review the cell phone bills? Growing up I would never have been able to get away with making a 900 number call because my mother would have noticed the call on the bill and would have hung me for making the call. If my children think they can use the cell phone for making calls we don't approve, they are kidding themselves. It doesn't take a lot of brains to figure out who your children have been speaking to on the cell.
That's also true, sephardilady. But my point was that even as a guy, I am aware that neither myself nor anyone i know ever called a 1-900 number, even though I'm sure we had the opportunity to do so. I have never heard of ANY girl calling a 1-900 number, even the most depraved gentile. It's simply not something girls do. The claim that many students in this Bais Yaakov have been ruined by this shows that the men who make up these rules are completely clueless as to the nature of the people for whom these rules are intended.
Hey Anonymous--I went to public school and I don't know of a single person who called a 900 number, much less a Bais Yaakov GIRL.
Now I'm sure many a person called a 900 number, but banning cell phones won't cause them to not seek out this activity because normal people don't spend time and money on such activities.
Why do young kids need cell phones in school anyway? They're disruptive and unnecessary. If there was a true emergency and the parents had to get through to their child, they would call the office and the secretary would handle it - or the principal. I think the practice of giving kids cell phones may, in reality, be a good thing so you can keep track of your children, but banning them in schools is appropriate.
Hey other anonymous. The rules are not saying that cell phones may not be brought to school. That would certainly be appropriate. They are saying that students may NEVER use cell phones.
The Taliban will rise again.
somehow I and most of my friends were able to surviive 4 years of hs without a cellphone. It's an unneccessary distraction. All the other rules make perfect sense. The internet is also an unneeded distraction. As for those who are upset over the 'plastic bubble', there are statistically many times more cases of kids going off the derech becuase of these things than those who had no exposure. also its the parents responsibility to tell them why its wrong, the schools responsibility to keep them away.
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