Edu-prison System

Yesterday, I was reminded what it was like to live the life of a high school student. My brother recently graduated and is off to university, and so I have been going through the intense final days of his high school career with him. Honestly, I had forgotten just how terrible it was. But, before I go into this, there are some things you need to know so you can place my biases fairly.

I liked High School. I didn't love it, but I love very little, and liking something is still pretty good. I liked a lot of my teachers. In fact, I liked all of them. Even the ones I didn't get along with, but that's a different story for another day. I also was a good kid. I didn't break rules for the sake of breaking them, I did what I was told when I was told, and I worked hard at the things I cared about. I didn't try to cause trouble, though trouble did find its way to me on occasion and I had a hard time not being a part of it.

With that said, I feel I can freely express my opinions. High School is mislabeled. I don't understand how you can be forced into a place every day for four years- with full lock down security, forced meal times, unable to walk anywhere without written permission, required silent time, where you are unable to voice your opinions freely, and all rights that you once had outside these walls are taken away- and call it anything but what it is. Prison.

The two most mistreated groups of people in America are Prisoners and Publicly Educated Underage Students. Don't get me wrong, the prisoners deserve it. They broke the law. What did the students do? They are trying to earn their place in society. They are trying to work, trying to learn, trying to better themselves, and yet they are treated with the same level of respect and self worth as a man who is locked in a cell for 22 hours a day. Granted, you don't get slapped around, but if you do something wrong, they throw you in solitary confinement for three or more days, except they call it "In School Suspension" or "Alternate Education Program". Again, misleading names don't change what is really happening here, and I really hate it when people change the name of something just to hide what it really is. Why don't they just call it "Solitary"?

I do not voice these opinions without merit. I went to private high school for a year in Hong Kong at HKIS, one of the greatest schools in the world in my opinion. There, I actually felt like a human. If there was something you wanted to say, you were free to say it. Your opinions were heard, because you were the one learning, and whatever made that process easier for you should be listened to. For every graduating class, there were two counselors, and not the type in Texas where they invite you in, listen to you without hearing a word you say, and then send you on your way. No, these people were payed to take your side. They would listen to you, and agree with you (in most cases, unless what you were saying was utter bullshit) and then they would act in your favour. The school cared about its students. That's how education should be.

Public Education is flawed. But then, I was angry since my sophomore year of High School when I read "For use in School and Prison Only" on the side of the crates that delivered the cafeteria's food. America (or at least Texas), do something about your damn education system!