In praise of the F Word, by Mary Sherry

In the article “In praise of the “F” Word” Mary Sherry discusses the “F” word, which means failure. Basically Mary Sherry stated that the kids of today are getting cheated out of a good education. They are passing through the school system because some are good kids and they do not create any problems in the classroom. But, at the same time employers are also being cheated because they expect graduates to have the basic skills. She also stated that Diplomas are considered meaningless because most of these kids who were awarded one could not read or write properly and therefore, they are back in night school along with adults who are trying to get their G.E.D.

Mary Sherry teaches an evening class and came to the conclusion that kids are being cheated when she asked them to write about an unpleasant experience in school. They all wrote something negative, they were crying out for help. It was also indicated that the teachers should have been more forceful in using the “F” word. Instead, these kids are now very angry and resentful for being passed along. It was also noted that your environment should not be an issue because most kids do not take school seriously and the teachers should have been more forceful with the “F” word. This also causes the employers to be cheated out of what they expect from their employees.

Employers are also being cheated because the teachers fail to do their job right. For example, if a student went to school to be a nurse and is passed because he or she doesn’t disrupt class and was a good student this cause them to get a diploma. However, when they get into the real world they cannot deliver what is expected of them and can also be very costly for the employers. Therefore, the employer has no choice but to rehire and retrain. If the teacher were using the “F” word then the student would take the class more seriously and realize that their future is at stake.

Finally, Mary Stated that Many people can rise above any situation if they are motivated, encouraged and knowing that they have something at stake to loose.