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
Yes, If a person becomes anything by going to highschool, it would be a good employee. We wake up everyday, have to be on time, we do what we are told and go home. But you also get a better lunch at a job compared to harlan.
There are some similarities between the school system and prison but overall I think that school is a bit different. I think that in school you can be social and free to do anhything. If you are in prison or not you will still have consequences if you do something wrong.
I agree that it is a bit different but not too much. You can be social, but the inmates can also be social. They even have jobs there like threading peoples eyebrows. They also have a "Store" to buy stuff in.
There are some shocking similarities between the school system and a prison, but when you think about it, it makes sense as to why they're set up that way. Both facilities need to contain individuals and need to have a schedule. In a school, they give you more freedom than a prison, eg. you won't have a bounty placed on you if you walk out the doors of a school.
While that is true, if you do it enough, your parents can go to jail and pay 1,000 fine for your actions, of not going to school. I was shocked to see the similarities. On top of that, some schools even have guards at the entrance of there schools to, and they have to go through metal detectors
I think school it pointless to some extent, school is like prison but not as bad, If school allowed to take the class we want I think I would like school alot such like what you wanna do after school. School is good till middle school then there is no point but to get government money.
Exactly. I will, maybe, use the Pythagorean theorem in welding, but that is it. We fork out tons of money to the government each year. Honestly, last year I was ok with school, but this year, it's hard for me to even get outta bed most days. I hate going to school. Kids are rude, and most teachers don't care. They give us busy work> Explain to me why I would have to color something for English. There is no reason. it was busy work, and I think that is what a lot of kids get mad about
I think in some aspects school can be like a prison. not being able to go to the bathroom when we want is restricting our freedom but having basic classes like math, English, and science. but other than that it is a lot like prison.
I agree, we should be able to use the bathroom when needed. If a teacher tells me no, and I truly need to go, I will walk out of class, or pee in a trashcan. Are they gonna stop me? If I really need to go, I need to go. I'm not messing around in the bathroom. I'm literally in there just to use the restroom and be out.
In prison, you are not learning the skills required to get a job or go to college. Although school can be tiring, it is not like prison. Going to school is not a punishment for crimes you've committed. You are not locked in a cell and can leave school whenever (Though it's not recommended). And if your parents allow you to, or if you're the legal age allowed to, you can drop out of school and never look back. School is not like a prison, especially since at the end of the day, you can go home to your family you can give them hugs, watch movies with them, and play games with them. People in prison don't have the luxury of physically seeing their families until they get out of prison.
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