A good rule of thumb:
Whenever something is taken away from students – field trips, clubs, learning opportunities, athletic events, assemblies, technology, traditions, supplies, time for play, or anything else – it’s almost always because removing that thing made adults’ lives easier.
Don’t allow anyone to tell you money became an issue.
Don’t let anyone tell you the pandemic killed it.
Don’t permit anyone to say that risk management deemed it too dangerous or that other priorities squeezed it out.
Don’t allow anyone to make any nonsense excuse as to why children are being denied an opportunity today that existed yesterday.
It’s almost always because the removal of yesterday’s opportunity made life easier for adults in some way.
If the school your children attend is less engaging, less dynamic, less inclusive, less exciting, or (worst of all) less fun than it once was, it’s almost always because adults, usually residing in ivory towers but occasionally on the ground level, didn’t want the hassle or struggle or the workload anymore.
Making your life or your job a little easier is almost always a good thing, but when children are involved, it often sucks.
