In response to George Cheek’s July 17 letter to the editor — “Shortfalls unnoticed for 12 years?” — I wouldn’t know whom to blame for the shortfalls in high school seniors, preventing them from obtaining a diploma, but instead of automatically blaming teachers, how about looking at the students?
Maybe Cheek is familiar with the old saying: “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” You can present all the correct facts and information, but unless students make an effort to learn, it’s all for naught.
Their parents also need to share some of the blame.
What were they doing to encourage their child?
Obviously these same students were aware of their lack of understanding in these subjects. Did they try to get extra help? Most teachers welcome a student asking for extra help as long as it’s well before the night before a test.
Learning a semester’s worth of lessons in one short session is not possible unless the student has some extra powers to remember everything like an idiot savant.
