Oliver Bloom

May 16, 2003

Period 6
Choice
Parents, Shopping for Discipline, Turn to Tough Schools Abroad, The New York
Times, Friday, May 9, 2003, Pages A1 and A10
In recent years, many parents throughout the United States have sent their
children to schools throughout the U.S. and other countries including Mexico, Cost Rica,
and Jamaica. These children have been forcefully sent to these schools for doing things
such as skipping school. Many of these schools are moving abroad where they can
operate largely under regulation radar and where some can employ minimum-wage
custodians more than teachers or therapists.
Casa by the Sea is an example of one of these schools located on Mexicos Pacific
Coast which calls itself a specialty boarding school. It is the largest of 11 affiliated
programs with roughly 2,200 youths, half of them in Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica. It
is run by a small group of businessmen based in St. George, Utah, under the name of
World Wide Association of Specialty Schools, also known as Wwasps. In recent years,
local government and the State Department have investigated Wwasps-affiliated
programs on charges of physical abuse and immigration violations.
Casa by the Seas enrollment has nearly tripled, from 200 youths in 1998 to more
than 570 today. Tuition and fees at Casa by the Sea runs at about $30,000 a year, half of
what many U.S. programs cost. Lon Woodbury, publisher of Woodbury Reports, which
rates schools and programs for troubled teenagers inside and outside the United States,
says one reason for programs moving abroad is to avoid the laws and regulations of the
States. He added, They can hire minimum-wage staff and still charge stateside prices.
Teen Help, Wwasps main marketing arm, was the single biggest corporate campaign
contributor in the state of Utah, donating $215,290 to Republican campaigns.
It is clear that these schools may have a positive affect on some youths, but with
others, they only make the problems worse. Is it right to put children through punishment
for their actions and lock them away in places similar to prisons? Many youths who
come out of these places have been scared for life, some seem to be better, but at what
cost?
1)
This news is important because it shows what many parents are willing to do to
try and fix their childrens problems. It also shows how many companies are trying to
make money off peoples problems but do not want to do it the legal way. They will go
outside of the United States so they can get past certain laws. There have been many
cases of physical abuse and violence at these schools that would not have been allowed at
sites in the U.S., but outside the country they are perfectly legal.
2)
This news will affect the future by causing more people to see that there are
schools like this around the world and that many of these schools are not as good as they
are made out to be. There are many problems that can regularly occur at these places and
many youths that attend these schools come back scared for life. Finally, this news will

affect the future by showing some children what could happen to them if they do not
behave and shape up in school.