Detentions

[Ali <Ali@zymurgy.org>]

 "Shaun Hately" wrote: 
http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,5500,865173,00.html
 
> > What would they make of Hogwarts style detentions? (-8

Bboy wrote: 
 
>> This girl was made to stay inside during the lunch hour (or half
 hour), she was not deprived of her freedom, she was not locked in a
prison, I suspect she was not deprived of her lunch either. They are
 taking a broad general use of the word 'detention' and applying a 
very specific meaning to it; a meaning which does not truly reflect 
the action of this detention.
 
 I would have to ask, how many other student got this many detentions?
 At some point didn't occur to her that maybe she should stop 
screwing up if she didn't like detention? Is this girl so deluded into
 believing that she is the center of the universe and that all things
 exist to serve her, that she has no grasp of the function of the 
world around her?<<

 I do agree with this sentiment and all the other comments about what 
exactly constitutes "detention" as defined by the European 
Convention. I also do think that this girl had been deliberately 
defying school authority, and suffered the penalty ...detention. 

There is though a secondary issue. Whilst to me, this legal case is, 
or certainly should be farcical, it does underline a problem that we 
have with our school systems. Quite simply, many kids are alienated 
by them and ever so gradually drop out. If the number of detentions 
that this girl has been given is unusual, then perhaps the school 
should be looking at alternative means of dealing with her behaviour -
 working with her parents, rather than in confrontation against them. 
It does seem that schools have very little ammunition to deal with 
errant children, little time and often get little support from the 
parents. Yet, the sad result is that many kids are then failed by the 
system that is supposedly for their benefit.

I wonder how many of you have been fundamentally "shaped" by your 
school experiences? I am certain that I was. I was deemed to be 
a "chatterbox". Through both primary and secondary school I was 
forced to move desk. Sometimes I was simply moved away from my 
friends, sometimes directly in front of the teacher, and sometimes 
outside the class. This happened too often and for too many years for 
it to be a simple teacher/pupil personality clash, yet with some 
teachers I never got moved and never got told off. But, I am equally 
sure that nothing positive was achieved. I did well at school, my 
friends were mostly high achievers, so I was hardly stopping anyone 
from working. Once moved, I was often so annoyed and humiliated that 
I did no work. I developed a strong sense of injustice, and became 
quietly rebellious, organising strikes and other pointless 
confrontations. I do believe that if I had been dealt with 
differently, it could have saved me alot of heartache. Now, I veer 
between being very quiet and non-stop talking, a trait I am sure, 
developed as a result of my school experience.

I was perhaps lucky as I did still benefit from my education, but how 
many little rebels, simply turn away from school and leave without 
qualifications and perhaps worse still a feeling of alienation from 
authority? I would like to think that there is a way of harnessing 
this teenage desire for independence and rebellion rather than just 
alienation.

Ali