Can III Grade students plot a teacher's assault?

I read this news report in today's Dallas Morning News about a mixed group of class III students plotting and almost executing a murderous attack on one of the class teachers. Apparently the group had planned the assault well and brought necessary tools such as a broken knife, steel handcuffs, duct tape, etc. Luckily for the teacher one of the students who was not involved in the group revealed the plot and the school called in the police.

What is more shocking is the plan itself than the seriousness of the plot. How could third graders make such a serious criminal plot? Are children here so smart, cunning and downright ruthless? All that I remember of my third grade years is being forced to do math and read by teachers and parents. Apart from that it was play, games and fun time with my friends in class. But today's third graders seem to be very vindictive and ruthlessly cruel.

Agreed that the world has changed over the past couple of decades. The education system is far more advanced than it was when I was in grade III, but is this what is being taught to students? Where is the innocence of childhood? Childhood for me means long days of playing; eating ice creams and chocolates without worrying about putting on weight or contracting diabetes; visiting grand parents during holidays; play innocent pranks in class such as flying paper planes. But this kind of plotting to hurt the teacher is shocking. What are the schools teaching?

News I read yesterday. Surprising and Shocking

I am a regular reader of Dallas Morning News and every day its content evokes surprise, shock and an array of reactions deep within me. I would like to share two small and almost insignificant news items in yesterday's newspaper which touched me.

First the surprise
I read about this courageous woman who manages a wildlife refuge and rehabilitation center here. She was mauled by two cheetah's during an exhibition show of the animals. Even after being hospitalised with cuts, bruises and stiches, she is not worried or scared. She wants to get back to work immediately. I admire this lady's courage and adventurous spirit. I have come across wildlife handlers in my experience and have found them extremely careful and courageous. I believe every human being should develop such courage.

Now the Shock
Can you believe that a 14-year-old girl could give birth to a still-born baby in the airplane toilet and say that she didn't know she was pregnant? Well, I find it hard to believe. Given a benefit of doubt that the 14-year-old didn't realise she was pregnant, surely the parents should have noticed. In the first place how did a 14-year-old get pregnant? What with so much of sex-education, awareness, free distrubution of condoms in high schools, etc going on, how did this happen? What are the school authorities doing? What are her parents doing?
I was under the impression that this kind of incidents occured only in extremely backward locations such as sub-Saharan Africa, remote parts of rural India, Nepal, some parts of SE Asia. But to read about such instances in the world's most advanced country, I am shocked beyond wits. I hope parents will read this blogpost/ article will take better care of their children and that school counsellors will educate them about hazards of unprotected sex.

A Guide to Employing Women!

I recently came across this interesting article which is a reproduction of the original guidelines issued to male supervisors when they started hiring women to work in factories, business establishments etc way back in the World War II period. That was perhaps the initial phases when women entered the work force and helped spur America's development into a strong economy. This continues to this date with most women working shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts contributing to the growth of the country. But these 1943 guidelines are rather funny and worth reading to get an understanding about how the society at that time was.