Samuelson on Adolescence

The column of Robert J. Samuelson (“Our Style of Adolescence Is Now a Type of Curse,” Op-Ed Page, April 21) covers the declining level of the public schools in this country.

Very interesting is the fact that Samuelson is writing not as a teacher, a member of a board of education, an interested parent or a politician, but as a columnist who writes about economic issues.

The magic word, which I noticed he mentioned three times in his column, a word that I never read in the writings by members of the school system, is “homework”: apparently high school students do less than one hour a day of home assignments.

There are about six to eight hours between the time schools send the pupils on their merry way and bedtime (I don’t dare to mention the weekend period) and what do the nice children do? Apparently the majority of them do nothing to further their education.

Please, parents and educators, make them study, make them read, do it for the nation, and even more for the benefit of the children.

After all, educated and knowledgeable children are the greatest heritage we can leave to our country.

FABIO MARCOTULLI

Los Angeles