School. Internment Camp or Commune?

I'm fairly sure that I do not need to reiterate the horrors of World War II and the camps created by Hitler's genocidal and racist plans. We have all studied that era; one that we hope will not come again in the history of humankind.

Even Stalin had his gulags... I suppose that all countries and social groups have their periods of which later generations are shameful.

The point is, as students in history class we learned how these internment camps operated. In some, death was the goal. In others, segregation and disrespect were common. Whatever the type of camp, the term "internment" evokes a feeling of controlled behavior and loss of freedoms.

How many kids feel as if their school is that way today?

Discipline and behavior management are important topics for administrators and teachers. No teacher wants to feel vulnerable and weak in front of students; we all want to have a respected position among our students. Otherwise, what learning is going to take place if the teacher can't even get the students to quiet down?

However, some schools have taken this concept of management way TOO far. School becomes a zone of a bazillion rules and practically no lee-way for students. Cell phones are banned, soft drinks are discouraged, lunch areas are closed off and patrolled. Tardy slips are not given out in deserving situations (like finishing a test after the bell rings), hall passes are near impossible to come by, and security guards are stationed at every door.

This is ridiculous.

There are certainly reasons why these measures have been implemented. Plenty of schools face problems with gangs, fighting, drug use, etc. I am certainly not saying that no rules is the way to go. However, what is TOO much?

My alma mater, a fairly affluent high school in Chesapeake, Virginia, got a new principal within the last few years. Since then, I have heard stories of her overdone rule systems and ridiculous regulations.

Let me rant a little bit. Understand, of course, that she didn't cause all of the problems with behavior management; some of these rules were already in place.

1). Students should be able to purchase soft drinks during the day at school. It's not the school system's responsibility to manage students' diets (except for providing meals), and teachers can simply limit hall passes to the drink machines.

2). Needing a permission slip to take another senior to the senior prom (i.e. both of you are seniors) is absolutely ridiculous. Why the hell is that necessary? You are BOTH seniors!

3). Giving students barely enough time to get to class is a pain in the ass. Sure, maybe you're trying to minimize lolly-gagging, but at the same time you're forcing students to rush everywhere.

Basically, my old school is run like a prison. And that just isn't right. First of all, try obeying that ever-present cardinal rule of adolescence: if you ban it, they will do it. Kids are all about rebellion. So limiting their every movement and proving you don't trust them will only provoke them to have bad attitudes about behavior. That bad attitude can't be helpful in building a strong school community.

Besides... can't all you administrators remember the days when you were in school? School isn't just about passing tests and making SOL cuts. It's about enjoying life, socializing, and learning the all-important life lessons from dealing with other people.