Legendary comic Bill Cosby is at it again. The man who has made many contributions to family entertainment (see Nick Jr.’s “Little Bill,” the infamous “Fat Albert,” and the multi-Emmy award-winning NBC classic “The Cosby Show”) is once again making headlines for his scathing remarks about the state of children’s education in today’s society.
Cosby, who has ignited controversy in the past by criticizing teachers and parents, spoke out about the poor job he thinks they are doing with children at a recent education conference. Cosby told conference participants that educators and parents are simply not doing enough to help kids.
During a forum called “Education Is a Civil Right” Cosby addressed hundreds of Los Angeles-area parents, teachers and students who attended the event at a local community church. According to news reports, the 69-year-old actor was especially critical of black parents, saying they don’t involve themselves enough in their children’s education and don’t know what their children are doing.
“We’ve got parents who won’t check the bedrooms of their children to see if there’s a gun,” he said.
In addition, reporters say Cosby chided teachers for not offering clear explanations to children who ask why courses such as English and algebra are necessary.
“If you teach English and you can’t answer this child, then you’re in trouble, and we’ve been in trouble,” Cosby said. “We can’t answer these children, because nobody’s given them any goals.”
This is not the first time Cosby has voiced his opinion about the current education situation. In the past, Cosby has criticized some black children for not knowing how to read or write. He’s also said some had squandered opportunities the civil rights movement gave them and said whites are unfairly blamed for problems in the black community such as teen pregnancy and high dropout rates.
What do you think about Cosby’s remarks? Do you agree with him about the state of today’s education system?
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