Massachusetts High School Ends All Sports and After School Programs
A Dim Future for Mansfield High School Students
The after school programs and sports teams were cut to help pay off a $1.8 million difference in their budget. "The cuts also included seven teachers and a guidance counselor at the high school, five middle school teachers and five elementary teachers."
Our country's children are its future, if anything more after school programs and sports should be added. Eliminating all school sports and after school activities at Mansfield High School will have far reaching consequences on the lives of many students, teachers, and parents that live in Mansfield, Mass.
According to Afterschool Alliance there are "more than 15 million" children who "are on their own after school," and that "The hour between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. are the peak hours for juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and sex."
It has been proven that "Teens who do not participate in after school programs are nearly three times more likely to skip classes than teens who do participate. They are also three times more likely to use marijuana or other drugs, and are more likely to drink, smoke and engage in sexual activities."
The loss of after school activities at the Mansfield High School will undoubtedly lead to an increase of drugs, underage drinking, and crime committed by Mansfield High School students. With nothing to do after school the amount of unprotected sex can only go up leading to more pregnant teenagers at Mansfield High School. The choice to end all high school sports at Mansfield High School will also mean missed college opportunities for many of the students at Mansfield High.
With no high school sports activities at Mansfield High School, students will not be able to earn scholarships for college from playing baseball, basketball, or football. Many colleges also give scholarships to orchestra and drama participants; however students of Mansfield High School will not be among those to receive them. Without these valuable scholarships many students at Mansfield High School will not be able to attend college.
With the cuts in education at Mansfield High School abolishing all after school sports and making it unlikely for many to attend college, the future of many Mansfield High School students may be a grim one. Mansfield High School graduates might end up with nothing to look forward to other than a minimum wage job in a state that has one of the highest costs of living.
Sources:
"Mansfield Cuts All High School Sports,Teachers, After School Activities Also Cut," WBZTV.com. Retrieved Tuesday, April 14, 2010 from http://wbztv.com/local/mansfield.high.school.2.1632288.html.
"Afterschool Alliance Fact Sheet," AfterSchoolAlliance.org. Retrieved Tuesday, April 14, 2010 f http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/Research%20Factsheets%202010/Fact_Sheet_Afterschool_Essential_3_22_2010.pdf
Published by David Leavitt
David has been playing video games since he jumped on his first Koopa at the age of five. He is a Featured Writer on Examiner.com and enjoys writing on a variety of topics from advice to reviews of consumer... View profile
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- The after school programs and sports teams were cut to help pay off a $1.8 million difference.
- Students will not be able to earn scholarships for college from playing sports
- Many students at Mansfield High School will not be able to attend college.
2 Comments
Post a CommentThese children have no voice and in our anti-tax climate they are the first to suffer. It's called trickle down suffering.
Having grown up in Dorchester and not having been a jock, I feel no sense of loss.... The money would be better spent elsewhere I am sure.