To the editor,
Lenore Skenazy wrote an absolutely excellent article comparing the education systems of the United States and Singapore (Rhymes with rzy, Oct. 6). Also, Ms. Skenazy, the goals of both countries are different: In the United States, politicians attempt to energize their base by making their goal “college for all,” while Singapore and other countries with a legitimate education system understand that college and academics are not for all and at age 16, children are compartmentalized (cold word, but necessary) into academic and vocational courses of study.
Structure evolves from the home. Where in Singapore, children respect their parents, in America children tend to blow off their parents — couple that with a high degree of divorce and many children lack the structure needed to mold them into functional young men and women.
Fortunately, I attended elementary and high school in the 50s and early 60s. We respected our parents and we did what they wanted us to do (most of the times, anyway). Our parents wanted us to study and we did. They wanted us to respect the professions, especially our teachers and we did. This system is still viable in Singapore and in other countries with excellent education systems.
Nowadays, we have dysfunctional families that take a toll on children, classmates, and teachers. If children do not respect their parents, how could they possibly respect teachers? A student asked me, “Why do we have to learn this stuff?” My answer was “Don’t ask me. Your parents are paying lots of money for you to study here. Why don’t you ask your parents and tell me what they said.” The next class, I asked the student what his parents had said; he just waved me off and stated, “Never mind!” Now that’s a cohesive family.
In the final analysis, we will take our children as they are. Whatever the politically correct American education system lacks, we fill in at home and don’t worry about that little talk about the birds and the bees. Today’s sex education teachers already took 14-year-olds to Duane Reade to buy condoms. To quote Rodney Dangerfield: “Anytime I want to know something about sex, I ask my kids.”
Elio Valenti
Brooklyn
A vote for Nicole
To the editor,
This Democrat who voted for Mrs. Clinton last year will be voting for Assemblywoman Malliotakis.
The Assemblywoman was right regarding the housing crisis and the failures of the New York City school system which are continuously being hushed up by this administration. We still don’t have enough affordable housing, as developers get huge tax breaks to build luxury condominiums instead. Too many of our high-school graduates need remediation courses when they attend college. Though the governor may call the shots regarding the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the mayor appoints four members to the MTA Board and therefore he would ultimately have some say.
While I can’t vote for Mr. Dietl since I feel that he doesn’t have the temperament to be mayor, he is to be praised for having the guts to bring up the problem of disruptive students in our city and either the inability or complete refusal of the administration to do something about this. Also, a vote for Mr. Dietl shall take away a potential Malliotakis vote.
It was also quite disconcerting to see those who headed the debate show their obvious bias towards the mayor. How many times will Grace Rauh confront Ms. Malliotakis regarding her vote for President Trump last year? She correctly answered that she will disagree with the President when she feels he is wrong on an issue. Isn’t this what democracy is all about? Errol Louis should never moderate a debate again. His turning off the microphones of both Ms. Malliotakis and Mr. Dietl was uncalled for. After all, the mayor spoke beyond his assigned time and his microphone was never turned off.
How come no one asked about the candidates’ positions regarding Proposition 1 on the Nov. 7 ballot — the Constitutional Convention controversy?
The mayor spoke of his rent freezes concerning rent stabilized apartments. Well, there was no freeze this time, but the tax breaks for landlords continue. How many times will he bring up pre-K? We all know that it’s a baby-sitting service at best. He wants to desegregate schools? In the meantime, his son attended Brooklyn Tech because he was up to the task. DeBlasio bemoaned the one test required for entrance. His son evidently passed the test to be admitted. What does the mayor want to do? Lower the requirements to get in? He will make it that if you play nice to the teacher, the latter shall write you a recommendation to get in. Then he’ll push for community service which is tantamount in many cases to doing errands for the school. He will not be satisfied until disciplinary problems fill the halls of Tech, Stuyvesant and Boys High. By the way, how come our progressive mayor doesn’t talk about changing the name of Stuyvesant H.S., since Peter Stuyvesant was quite an anti-Semite in his day?
Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
Congest suggest
To the editor,
I couldn’t give a hoot about proposed congestion pricing and its consequences in Manhattan, as, if I am forced to do so, I maybe visit there twice a year. Just last week I had to head to the West Side, mid-Manhattan piers to pick up my little grandsons and family after their Disney cruise. I discovered that all the streets and highways, there and back, were clogged with Taxi and Limousine Commission-plated black-brown-white cars of every variety. I seemingly counted 10 TLC cars to one taxi filling the streets. It is no wonder why the public complains that our New York City Transit buses take so long to make their stops … these cars consistently hog the bus routes too.
I know that the war cry for congestion pricing has been raised again, though who really caused the massive congestion in the first place? I am sure the city and the Tsaxi and Limousine Commission are raking in big bucks licensing the Uber and other service cars. These cars are doing a nice job of killing the New York City taxi industry and also pulling passengers away from mass transit that truly needs the ridership fares.
So, if the city and state are licking their chops at a new revenue stream, they might just start with the thousands of new Tasi and Limousine Commission vehicles they enabled, bringing the streets of Manhattan to a virtual standstill. Hit them with the largest increase as they now contribute heavily to the traffic hell they cause. Give a break to the regular guys, gals and truckers that need to get their jobs done, keeping this city running.
As for me, I‘ll probably be driving through Manhattan in mid 2018. Though there ain’t nuthin’ wrong with the good old “B” train where you’ll find me constantly!
Robert W. Lobenstein
Marine Park
Not about the flag
To the editor,
I get it: millions of people are up in arms about NFL players standing in locked arms or kneeling and instead of asking the big question, Why? Is it just assumed its about disrespecting the flag and the military. This isn’t the case at all and those who have eyes should open them and stop the bias. The President just stirred the pot and did not address the elephant in the room. He just fanned the “fake” flames of being unpatriotic.
Why is it that, after the cold-blooded terroristic acts in Vegas, people wanted to understand why he did it? But conversely we don’t regard the same for others who are carrying out a peaceful protest. Its a First Amendment right but I guess for some this only counts if people approve of it.
The NFL players, rich as they may be, are trying to highlight a real issue in this country which is, time and again, swept under the rug. They are using their positions as a vehicle or national platform to bring attention to the issue in a peaceful way. Already there is bias when someone points out they are spoiled. Are they all or are some? What facts does this bring to the issue? Zip, zero!
Its not about not loving this country or about disregarding what others did in the way of their military service. My father is a vet and has served this country so why are we making the issue about the disrespect of the flag-military when it’s not?
Has anyone bothered to research why the National Anthem eased its way into sporting events? How about the government paying a whopping $6 million dollars to sports teams to play the Anthem? Some say keep sports and politics separate; I say the government has managed to synergistically merge the two without people having so much as a clue for separate sports and politics! If you do get bored and want to visit Senat
Mill Basin
Education evolves
