Who’s in charge of education?

In the past couple years the hot new service for public libraries has been to provide homework help centers. More recently, I’m seeing news releases of libraries providing tutor.com to their communities. Today it was the St. Paul Public Library announcing the service.

Though I laud the public libraries for stepping up to fill this need, I am finding this disturbing – on a multiple of levels.

I am disturbed that families are unwilling, unable, or possibly just plain abdicating their role to provide help with homework. Working with children on their schoolwork is a bonding experience for parents. It also keeps them in tune with what their children are learning and who they are becoming.

I am disturbed that schools are making assignments for which the school does not provide resources. When children need resources, parents either bring or send them to the public library both physically and virtually, where there is not necessarily a person helping them who is knowledgeable in school curriculum. Alarmingly, that help is then coming from a distance contract service over the Internet. Ironically, that is the same Internet where we tell children to assume an attitude of wariness and distrust.

I am concerned that public libraries are unilaterally assuming a responsibility for which they are not wholly qualified and that should be shared with other partners in the community. I hope that we as communities will seek to build local partnerships that include the K-12 educational system, academic institutions that may be in the community, businesses, and the public library with its cradle to grave responsibility.

The possibilities of that group working together are truly exciting. Instead of just the disembodied online help, we could collectively work to establish a system that could give our kids real human contact that cares about their success and walks with them through the educational process.