Negative reinforcement, emphasis on silence and order, abridged freedoms, no input in decision-making, dress code/uniforms, and more, are all similarities that you can see between school and prison. Overall, both industries suppress people into conformity.
In school, you must arrive at the same time and leave at the same time, day after day. You are given a schedule to follow and rules not to break. You are expected to follow the rules built into the school and expected not challenge the infrastructure of the system. Teachers are all-powerful. They control what your mind is being fed, and other school officials decide what your body is being fed as well. We have no control over how they go about our everyday lives because such a huge part of it (eight hours of school) is being controlled by others.
We don’t have a say in what we are learning. Our knowledge is what empowers us, and because there is such a strong disconnect in what is being taught, we no longer feel that knowledge and education are important in our lives. The biggest reason for learning and putting effort into our work is the why factor, why is what we are learning important to us? So many curricula do not answer the most important question, therefore we don’t care about what they are learning because there is a good reason to be learning it. Instead of teaching lifelong skills, like handling personal expenses, growing your own food, health, and wellness, how to change the oil in a car, etc., we are being taught information that will never matter in the real world.
In my opinion, school is like a prison, but we are allowed to leave. If we do decide to leave early, we get a detention, which would be like getting more added to your sentence. I definitely think, as high schoolers, we should be able to have more say in what goes on in our lives. Do we need all 3 years of math that we will never use? In English we go through the same thing year after year, but with different projects.
Questions
Do you think we should have more say about what goes into our lives?
Is school like Prison?
If they taught life skills, would you actually listen?
How do you think we could change this?
How do you think school prepares us for the real world?
Sources
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2015/11/11/when-school-feels-like-jail
https://www.mackinac.org/blog/2022/whats-the-difference-between-school-and-jail
Replies
I agree we should have more in what we do, but most of us won't become teachers, and most of us won't be using what they are teaching us. If they taught us life skills, on the other hand, we may use that. Not all of us are going to become doctors and scientists. If they feel that's what they are gonna do, sure they can take those classes, but I don't think we all should have to.
I do think that we should have more say about what goes on. However, I don't think that the average person is going to pick a life that is beneficial. Everyone will want the easiest most comfortable route. I think that school needs to teach us life skills. I think that school does very little to get us prepared for real life.
I agree, We should have more say in what goes on, its our life. Its over 7 hours a day wasted on useless learning that I will never use, sure, IT teaches us to follow directions and how to learn, but so does learning stuff that is useful to use.
I feel like school is definitely like a prison, especially here in Harlan. There are no windows in school, you have to do what you are told, you eat crappy food, and your voice is never heard. I feel like schools should allow freedom of expression and let students make decisions. That is why I really like Montessori schools. They go with what the kids want to learn and it is hands-on.
I didn't even know there was a school like that! But I agree, There are no windows, I'm lucky if I get to see a glimpse of sunlight throughout the day. Your voice is also never heard. How do we know that they care when in reality it's really crappy. The board of Chambers is actually trying to promote Harlan, and say "Its a place where we care" and things like that but in reality, they don't. IF they did care, then they would do something about this school. The new designs don't have nearly enough windows in them either.
I do think school is like a prison. Also I think we should have more say in what we want to learn and be able to change up our class times and when we want to have lunch. I do not think school prepares us for the real world they only teach us things we need to know for like a teacher or a scientist and not other jobs.
I agree, all trade jobs are out the window. They only each stuff you would need 4-8 years of schooling for. I'm not going to college for that long. I'm going and getting my basics, then I'm off to go and see the world (United states) welding. I shouldn't have to wait around for them to teach me the useless crap that they are teaching us that I will never be using.
I do believe that we should get more say in the things we are taught because most of us aren't going to use half the stuff we are learning. I think that they should have life skill classes manditory and other classes are optional. Teaching how to pay taxis and how to get a job will be much more important in our futre then the difference between who and whom. While basic math, science, and english skills are important for our futre, British literature is not. I think if we presented the school board with enough evidence and a reasonal plan for classes, we could eventually change the problems in the modern school system that we are so familiar with.
I agree, we should have more say, I won't use anything past my freshman year of highschool. But they don't teach us life skills so what is the point in being here? I think we might be able to change, but the problem is, the school board doesn't listen. They all just agree with one another so they don't get hated on and there kids don't have to pay for it.
I feel like school is kind of like a prison just because we can't leave whenever we want to and even if our parents call us out there has to be a reason to pull us out of school they can't just pull us out for no reason. School prepares us for the real world by teaching us to learn new stuff to get ready for jobs. Also to teach us problem-solving skills. But they don't teach us how to be entrepreneurs.
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