Diversity of talent stymied in children

I'm sure many of us remember from our school days the duck who was very adept at swimming but quite challenged when it came to climbing trees. Then there was the squirrel who deftly climbed from tree branch to tree branch but proved quite limited when asked to demonstrate those same antics in water. Those were times when we celebrated diversity of talent and stood in awe at the beauty of individual manifestations of natural ability.

That all changed when the Department of Education decided our children should all meet or exceed what they decided were minimal standards in math, science and reading. Schools scrambled to meet the standards or face possible probation and ultimate reorganization. Programs that taught our kids to be future welders and auto mechanics among other vocational skills were sacrificed so the money saved can be used for remedial programs so no child will be left behind. But, "no child left behind" has a different meaning for the parents of some children who could be earning $18 to $26 per hour out of high school as welders or certified mechanics. But now they watch their children standing in the unemployment lines.

For these parents and the thousands like them, their children are or will be left behind. Not left by their teachers or local schools but by what I believe is at best a group of detached, faraway bureaucrats who arrogantly deceive themselves into believing they know what skills those little ducks and squirrels need to develop.

Somehow we have lost sight of the diversity of talent and ability we all profess to support. Ironically we have decided that in education at least, one size fits all, and if we continue to believe in this fantasy, many of our precious and gifted children will be forever left behind.

Gerald Wester

Mount Prospect