Georgia Republican Wants Poor Children To Work As Janitors

Republicans want child labor again. And guess whose children they want to force to do menial tasks, instead of attending classes? The children of poor people, of course! Jack Kingston, (R) Georgia thinks that any child who qualifies for the national school lunch program should perform janitorial duties at school. So much for privacy and confidentiality....any child pushing a broom would obviously be from a financially disadvantaged family. Teachers who hate poverty stricken parents (yes, there definitely ARE such teachers, and they definitely DO take out their little angries on children sometimes) and bullies who look for victims would have new and reliable information about who has enough financial clout to hire legal representation and fight the resulting harassment and discrimination in court. Just what our schools need right now.......more division! Also, just what underprivileged children need; new reasons to feel shamed and humiliated because of circumstances over which they have no control. Who on earth would be so heartless?

When would the children of the poor get to study? The children who do not qualify for the school lunch program would have all the time they need to attend classes and study; none of their school day would be taken up in Jack Kingston's child labor program. This would naturally give the richer students an academic advantage over the financially less advantaged. What would happen if a child needed extra help or tutoring, and the schedule conflicted with that all important janitorial work? Or if the bus schedule conflicted with the Republicans' child labor program?

Republicans like Jack Kingston are quite willing to not only step all over the constitutional rights of children, but dismantle every educational advantage America offers children through public school. From all appearances, the ultimate goal is to take education away from the poor. Is this a direction America should really consider?