Classes of 2010 and 2011 for the Fair Treatment of Graduating Students

Classes of 2010 and 2011 for the Fair Treatment of Graduating Students With Reference to the Graduation Project

It has been mentioned, though vaguely, before this time, that a Graduation Project might be required of all students. Just this year, the project, which is supposed to be a four year endeavor for every student, was imposed upon the classes of 2010 and 2011.

This project was unfairly imposed upon the classes of 2010 and 2011. These classes will not have the amount of time which was supposed to be allocated by the State for completion of this task. This project was poorly planned, and the teachers and administrators who are supposed to guide these young people are uninformed as to what the project is, and what requirements must be met in order to properly complete this work.

Many students, coming from less-privileged households will find it extremely difficult, if not nearly impossible to properly finish this project, as they may not have access to the materials necessary for completion of this task. It is a tragedy that all students do not have access to these materials, but if the Great State of North Carolina is truly determined and adamant to push this unscrupulous proposition upon the classes of 2010 and 2011, then the Great State must accept this proposal from those who are suffering this serious injustice: North Carolina must be willing to provide the materials appropriate and necessary for the completion of this project to every student who needs them. It would be only proper that every student who wanted to partake in this project to secure their graduation would be offered an equal opportunity.

Accuracy is also of significance. As of this time, the classes of 2010 and 2011 will be required to complete this project in order to obtain a high school diploma, even if these students have excelled during all of their years in school. Not having a decent amount of time in which to successfully complete this project could present a problem. This project should not be a means with which to gamble with the graduation of these students! The schools, counties, and State have at least twelve years of work and grades completed by these students with which to determine whether or not the student is deserving of graduation. To put twelve years of strenuous work in jeopardy because of one piece of work is absolutely unacceptable, and a disgrace to the students who were working hard for their entire schooling career only to have yet another restriction to bar them from reaching success.

Daily, and exponentially, the opposition and resentment for this inequity grows. Every time this project is mentioned, the students become irate and frustrated. They desperately seek for answers by interrogating their teachers and administrators, only to find that ignorance and occasionally the same contempt is held by the educators and administrators. Because of this uncertainty and lack of direction and management that appears to be mutual amongst students and those above them, students are stressed to the point that they are almost incapable of completing the work assigned to them by teachers. This project has become an unexpected distraction to schools across the State who did not already have this system in place.

Because of lack of time and preparation, this project is unfair to the classes of 2010 and 2011, except to those schools who already had this program in place and thus had a proper plan. For the remaining schools who did not have this plan in place before this year, they will have to deal with apathy, confusion, frustration and anger. However, throughout the State, graduation rates will decrease, and possibly dropout rates, because of contempt for this project.

The Great State should know that too many irreplaceable, outstandingly brilliant minds will be wasted if this project is required of these classes. The resentment is so strong, that there has been talk of virtually no class of 2010 or 2011 for North Carolina, because of the perplexity of a project that is unnecessary and improperly planned in haste.