Letter to the editor | 9-7-14

Another view on using public funds to pay for private schools

The letter printed in West Hawaii Today on Sept. 4, written by Colleen Miyose-Wallis, may reflect the opinion of some. However, when viewed in the context of her brag that “I’m a product of the public school system and I think I had an excellent education,” her letter suggests that she may not be all that correct in her conclusions, in spite of her excellent public education.

I especially take issue with two of her statements. First, the statement “to use public funds to pay for private schools is against all that I believe in” is a view that is very one-sided. Those who send their children to private schools pay taxes, just like everyone else who works, and a portion of those taxes go to support the public school system. The cost of the private school education for those who choose it is an additional cost that is shared by no one else. I think it fair that parents who send their children to private schools get some return for that portion of their taxes that go to the public education system.

Second, her statement that “if you cannot teach your children right from wrong at home, no matter how good the education system is, your child is doomed to fail” is not factual. While the primary responsibility to teach children right from wrong rests with the home, it is not the only place in our society that can instill that value in the child. It takes a community to raise a child and the more people who get involved in the child-rearing programs, the healthier our community becomes. One of the more visible examples are the many coaches who take the extra time to instill values into the children they coach. Coaching is not only about winning at the game, but includes developing the team members into being solid citizens.

The home life of a child has a lot to do with what the child achieves but it certainly does not condemn the child to failure.

Leningrad Elarionoff

Waimea