1960 Vs Today Cartoon

Maissa Signate

Ms. Thurmond

English 101-08

September 21, 2016

Compare and Contrast Essay

Responsibilities in educational performance have shifted among different parties over time. The political cartoon "Bad Grades: 1960s versus 2010" demonstrates the contrast of the educational sector over time (Cagle 1). The political cartoon exemplifies differences in responsibility in education, changing over time from student responsibility to teacher responsibility, with some similarities in the lack of parent responsibility.

         In the perspective of the political cartoon, there are several identifiable differences between the 1960s and 2010 within the educational sector (Barro and Chong-hwa 152). The core difference is identified in the parties that are responsible towards students' academic success. The political cartoon demonstrates the contrast through the image of infuriated parents both in the 1960s and 2010. The image about the 1960s demonstrates that parents were angry towards the student (Cagle 1). They are aggressively addressing the student, asserting of how terrible his grades were. In the parallel image of the cartoon, these parents are not addressing their son who has performed dismally. They are complaining about the terrible grades to the teacher. According to this cartoon, this characterizes the parents in 2010. It is evident that the performance of students was blamed to different parties in the1960s and in 2010 (Barro and Chong-hwa 152). The decades have brought differences in the learning process among students. For instance, there were different technological tools used in both times. In the past teachers were looked up to be one of the most educated members of their communities. Today, the education levels of teachers are perceived to be the same as most people in the community, because so many people have finished high school or have even gone beyond. Teachers are no longer looked up to because of their education. An example of shifting time change within the education system is discipline. In the past when a student did something wrong in they were disciplined by the teacher or at times the principal and also when they got home to their parents.  In today's day and age many parents start with the assumption that their student is right in the situation and therefore the teacher must be wrong, so they attack the teacher who had the temerity to discipline, or even give a poor grade to the student. Education is constantly changing views and responsibility as time goes on.

         Despite the difference observed in the 1960s and 2010 within the educational sector, there are also major similarities in the separate times (Barro and Chong-hwa 153). The major similarity is that the parents have never taken the responsibility of students' performance. In the 1960s, they were complaining about terrible grades to students. Later in 2010, they were complaining about the terrible grades to teachers (Cagle 1). Evidently, the parents have never taken up the responsibility of influencing academic grades among their children. They have constantly been expecting their children to achieve good grades through the role of other parties (Barro and Chong-hwa 153). Parents never direct the comments at themselves it is either the student's fault or the teacher's fault .In both situations; it is shown that the parents are not involved with the student's education. They do not check to see where the child is struggling on at school but instead see their education a requirement rather than an achievement. This is a negative perspective among the parents, and the parallelism in the cartoon demonstrates it comprehensively. Therefore, despite the many changes in the educational sector, parents have never admitted having a crucial role in influencing the grades attained by students.