Inadequacy in schools.

The public school system has failed us! Precious is a teenager who enjoyed school, received good grades, attended school everyday but was illiterate. Throughout her time in school it was as if she was there to learn but her teachers were not there to teach her. She comprehended and paid attention but because of her own personal struggles she never really learned anything from them. All she new was hurt, pain and rejection.

“I got A in English and never say nuffin’ never do nuffin.’” [Page 49].That alone coming from Precious is a tragedy in itself. English is a subject in school that everybody should just understand, even with a little bit of struggle. Precious is a 16-year-old in the ninth grade she had been held back in school for being pregnant and also suspended for the same reason . I feel like people gave up on her before they even gave her a chance, especially within the school. There are alternatives and options and all Precious needed was for somebody to reach out to her a little earlier in her life and let her know that she had a choice, she always has a choice. She was deprived of so much including a much needed education.

“Focus on the ones who can learn” [Page 37] was said by Precious’s principal to her math teacher. Everybody has the ability to learn. For a teacher to give, even take such advice is baffling. To pay more attention to the students who “can learn” means that you are automatically straying away from the students that are there to learn and that is not fair. I would describe Mr. Wichers and his teaching methods to be inequitable. Even though he tried to create a basic learning environment he went along with the attitudes of the students in his class. Precious is not illiterate because it is what she chooses to be, it is because she was not helped and given the proper attention in school.

Mr. Wichers teaching methods were not very strong at all. Precious may have scared him with her profane language and grotesque appearance but deep down inside she was yearning to learn and be well-educated. This novel proves that even back then some teachers may not have did all that they could to drag out a students full potential. In the end, proper education and kind attention ends up saving Precious from herself. It is understandable that a teacher would want to only be there for his or her students that want to be there as opposed of those who need to be there because they might not have hope for them. In my opinion it was very cowardly and ignorant of Mr. Wichers to not at least reach out to Precious and showed that he cared.

I believe that his statement is both an understandable and forgivable attitude towards students. You cannot help those who do no want to be helped. In this case she was crying out for help but just did not know how to express those feelings that she had. “I is ready. Ready for school. School something (this nuthin‘!) School gonna help me get out dis house” [Page 35] Precious knows and understands that an education is going to be that something that puts her in a stable place in life. She is a prisoner in her body and frees herself by learning how to read and write at the alternative school that she attends.

In conclusion the schools that Precious attended were not entirely to blame, the teachers were. At the same time, they really did not do all that they could to give her a proper education and much-needed tools for everyday life. Even though she was put in tough situations and suffered a very harsh upbringing Precious triumphed in the end. She expressed herself through reading and writing and most importantly had a great teacher and friend to show her the way.