happy thanksgiving!!!

to those in the u.s. - happy thanksgiving. i know that this is late but thats part of the charm. for my thanksgiving i spent the whole day at school till 9p.m talking to parents. not exactly something to be thankful for.

this whole process made me doubt the idea of a meritocracy. i think that i must be super idealistic or naive to still believe in such, but, as i said, that belief is eroding. i dont think that the idea that something must be earned should be a foreign one to people. i also dont think that its a cultural misunderstanding. or maybe it is, with some people believing that one can bargain and a deal can always be struck. i guess one of the problems of teaching in international schools is the socioeconomic bracket that the families belong to. here there are loads of kids from the diplomatic community, the oil industry, but also just plain wealthy.

its a kind of chicken/egg thing. does the school accommodate them because its expected or do the parents expect it because the school is so accommodating. one cannot earn grades simply because one's parent expects it and thinks that one is deserving. if the work isnt done then what is the point? mind you most kids will push boundaries as far as is possible and i understand that. what i dont understand is the adults who are more concerned with appearances than with whether the child has actually learned something or developed a skill. what will that child do when he/she gets to university? what will he/she do when they get a real job? what will they do when they are faced with external examinations or professional certifications?

my real worry isnt this particular set of children but that this situation cannot be too far from common. so there is a whole generation and culture developing that totally disregards merit. i realize that this idea is relatively new but can you have true republican ideals without merit? i think that problems that this next generation will face globally are previously unseen and perilous. how can these be handled by people who never LEARNED?

is this what my mother's generation worried about when i was growing up? is this just a sign that i am aging and fossilizing?

i hope that there is hope for us. and at the risk of being monumentally cheesy - that is something to be thankful for. and, of course, that billy idol has a new album out.