Military Children Face in School

¶ … Military Children Face in School

The objective of this work is to examine the challenges that military children face in school.

"Kids Serve Too" states that there are "more than a million school-age children in America with one or both parents currently serving active military duty." (Pre-K Now Research Series, 2006) Added to this is the fact that more than fifty percent of all military children "...are under the age of seven, and many live in single parent families or families where both parents are in the military." (Pre-K Now Research Series, 2006) More than a thousand children who are 'military' children have lost a parent since September 2001.

DISADVANTAGES of MILITARY CHILDREN in EDUCATION

Military families are at a disadvantage and certainly, the children in these families suffer the most. Military families "lead a life that requires them to relocate about every two to four years, carrying with them the burden of maintaining a quality educational career for their children." (Pre-K Now Research Series, 2006)This report states that in the "good old days" children in the military attended a Department of Defense (DOD) school that was "...consistently ranked as some of the best in the nation." (Pre-K Now Research Series, 2006) However, the 'good old days' are no more and the DOD states that approximately seventy-five percent of Armed Forces personnel "live off base and no longer have access to the DOD schools." (Pre-K Now Research Series, 2006) Not only do the military children have to relocate often they now "face the same challenges controlling all American families, but without the advantage of having the historical or institutional knowledge gained by living in the neighborhood over time." (Finding the Best School for Your Child, 2006) This information includes that of which school is the 'best' school and the "best criteria for crafting a decision, and how is it assessed?" Finding the Best School for Your Child, 2006) Help is stated to be available for military families and students in making the best choice of schools, which includes which schools, are the best for their child since "public schools are no longer just generic institutions." (Finding the Best School for Your Child, 2006)

II. PROVISIONS by the DEPARTMENT of DEFENSE to CIVILIAN SCHOOLS

The National Military Family Association work entitled: "Department of Defense Support to Civilian Schools Educating Military Children" a Fact Sheet states that a "significant element of family readiness is an educational system that provides a quality education to military children, recognizing the needs of these ever-moving students and responding to situations where the military parents is deployed and/or in armed conflict. Children are affected by the absence of a parents and experience even higher levels of stress when their military parent is in a war zone shown constantly on television. Addressing the needs of these children, their classmates and their parents is imperative in lowering the overall family stress level and achieving an appropriate level of family readiness. But it does not come without cost to the local school system." (National Military Family Association, 2006) This report relates funding is provided through the U.S. Department of education Impact Aid Program that go to district who are educating military children to support the districts in educating large numbers of military children including their frequent movements and the need for counseling and other resources. (National Military Family Association, 200;, paraphrased)

III. RECOMMENDATIONS of JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY