School environment creates teen prisoners; more time between classes maybe first step toward freedom
by Karennalyz S.
As any current high school student will admit, they are constantly faced with obstacles in their day to day lives. For many students, one of those obstacles is the feeling of being controlled by school administrators. From dress code to school start/stop times to assignments to behavior, every aspect of their lives seems controlled, even down to the short amount of time between classes they are allotted. The lack of time to socialize during the school day or verbally and physically to contact friends and family within the school environment is enough to make many teens feel like prisoners being held against their will. Teenagers deserve the right to socialize and walk around freely within the school building, however, without having to worry about being late to class or being chased around by hall monitors that constantly accuse them of skipping class. It's already enough that teens are stuck in a building for eight hours a day with back to back classes, but on top of that having to rush during transitions in order to make it to the next class in time feels particularly controlling. Five minutes is not enough time between classes to allow for any personal necessities to get done, let alone for teens to socialize. For a variety of reasons, the time between classes should be extended.
The first reason why we deserve the right to have longer time in between classes is because of our age. We are teengers transitioning into young adulthood averaging ages of 14-19 years of age. We're reaching ages that allow us to use the permission/right to purchase adult material and drive an authorized licensed vechile, to purchase and consume nicotine products and other alcoholic drinks in many countries, or even join the military. We have the right and permission to do all these things but are still being restricted and controlled by an unfit school system that's denying students rights far more than the real world would. The right to five more additional minutes of transition time in between classes is far more reasonable of a right to give teenagers than some of these other rights the government gives.
The second reason why more time between classes should be allotted to teens is because of how much other control the school system has over us as hard working high school students. The school district controls us so much already. They question what,where, how, and why when asking for permission to leave the classrooms, they control when and which bathrooms or hallways we choose to go to. They control what and how we wear our preferred clothing. They control arrival and dismissal hours. They control class schedules and future class selections, oh and wait, that's if you're even lucky to even have an opinion on which class you're going to be enrolled into. On top of all this they restrict us of our autonomy by controlling our decision on wearing IDs. Genuinely, what else do they want to control? What more do they need? Is this not enough already!!
A third reason more time between classes would be beneficial is for students’ mental and physical health. The school district needs to understand that we are still growing teenagers. We want to have fun, talk, meet new people, make new friends and even create new experiences. This so-called "correctly" qualified school system is not allowing their students the ability to express themselves due to its over controlling ways which are causing teenagers to be physically and mentally incapable of trusting themselves, which in turn is tearing their self confidence and self esteem, making it ultimately complicated for many teenagers to open up and socialize. The school district and staff don't realize how this goes beyond enforcing rules. This is affecting students' lack of motivation, causing changes in personalities, goals, ambitions, mental, physical, and emotional health. The school system has the solution to this predicament but continue to be blinded by their own ways, leaving no room for alternate decisions or opinions.
So far in this article the information in this article has been one sided, but thinking about different points of view harbored by Airport High School teachers and students is important. Teachers might believe that allowing students more time in between classes will only promote them to make bad decisions and introduce themselves into bad behaviors like cutting class, fighting, and even the chance to use illegal substances. Teachers have their eyes blinded by their past experiences with “‘problematic teenagers’’ giving them a hard time wrapping their heads around thinking that this time there is going to be a difference. Now that we have looked at AHS teachers point of view it's time to introduce the students' response to this. AHS students believe that we are teenagers and although sometimes we make questionable decisions we deserve the right to explore and learn from our mistakes. We are slowly but rapidly becoming young adults. We are old enough to take responsibility for our actions and know what is considered to be right or wrong. Yes, we understand that administrators are trying to keep us safe and provide a well managed environment but not to the extent of being treated and controlled like prisoners constantly being questioned and under surveillance.
It’s not just me who thinks more time between classes is needed. Other AHS students agree as well.
Georgia D. states, “I think we should be given more time indeed, like at least ten-minutes due to the fact that during those five-minutes in between isn't enough time for all students in the building to use the restrooms all at once causing students to clog up hallways and restrooms, literary making it impossible to make it through all those people and to class in time. Administrators need to be real about this situation five-minutes will never be enough time for over three hundred students to walk around in these tight hallways trying to make it to class in time and also use the restrooms all at once.’’
Kimberly R. another Airport High School student states, “At this point it isn't a want anymore it's a need, we need more time in between classes five-minutes isn't enough there is so much going on at once every hall is completely packed with students making it hard to walk through the halls in a hurry without bumping into people or getting pushed around. Trying to get to class in time with people trying to talk to each other grouping up in the middle of hallways trying to connect and socialize while getting shouldered in the back by so many students trying to get through. This has gone too far already. What is this prison? It's enough that we have constant surveillance on us by both security guards and cameras but on top of that administrators as well they have the ability to fix this but keep denying the correct course of action.’’
As you can tell this is a topic very much talked about but also very much needed and agreed upon.
To conclude this topic and as I already said, we are not little kids anymore who don't know what is wrong or right or what life is truly about. We have grown and experienced many things throughout our lives. We all have different backgrounds and stories to go with them. You can treat a young adult like a four-year-old and expect them to be okay with it. Times have changed, we have changed, we deserve the right to our own opinion and the need for things to change. We have the right to have an opinion and a say in the decisions taken over our school system.
In sum, let this quote from a seventeen year old high school student in Florida speak to my ultimate point: “If we feel like something is wrong and need change we are not scared to speak up and neither should you don’t be scared to speak your opinions, make them known and fight to be heard.’’