Does farming impact education?

Normally, when we think of farm workers we think of immigrants alone. The article affects many family owned farms as well that we forget about. The article, In Our Own Backyard states, "Kids who work at such young ages are likely to fall behind in school, and often drop out. Only 55% of child farmworkers ever finish high school." First of all, they are not listing all of the factors. The majority of farmworkers they are considering are immigrants who have other factors leading to the dropout besides work. This article is not separating immigrant work from American children work. This makes me furious!! I come from a very rural town where the norm is for children to work on the farm, I know I did. Farm work teaches self control and an appreciation for what we have. I would much rather have children learning responsibility and the worth of a dollar than be lazy, spoiled, and stuck in front of a t.v. or a computer all day. Call me cruel, ha!

Most farmers in this country are not uneducated! My father came from a poor, poor family of eight brothers and sisters, all who worked on the farm. Oh, did I mention, all graduated from MTSU with Bachelor's degrees, four of whom have higher degrees. I worked before and after school everyday of my life. I will be finishing my Ed.S. this year at twenty seven years old despite farmwork and a lack of money. Farming teaches work ethic and a desire to earn what you have. No, farming does not make a lot of money, but it is an honest, dependable, and "once" respected job. The number one thing I was taught by farming is that you don't whine about what you don't have or what you think you should have. Look around and appreciate all you do have!

As for health risk, children on farms do face them, I admit. However, suburban and city children have their own health risks. The obesity epidemic is on the rise in this country and if you simply look around you can see it is due to sitting in houses and not getting out, eating too much. It doesn't take reports to know this. Also, on a farm you know what your child is out doing, is this the same for others?

We are becoming to overprotected as a society. We are weakening ourselves with t.v., technology, and airconditioning. These are great, but they are luxuries. We are so spoiled!

As for immigrants working, this should fall under immigrant laws. Immigrants being hired to work in a field is different from families working in fields. My father refuses to hire immigrants for this reason. He does not agree with the way people exploit them and pay them so little.

Leave the American farmer alone, this country is hurting them enough! Watch who you judge! That dirty farmer you see walk in the store may have more education than you and may not have waited so long to get it!

Here is a great website on dropout statistics.
http://www.aypf.org/projects/briefs/DropoutPreventionRecovery.htm