Public School Conformity

There was a time when America’s education system was top-notch according to the culture and society. With time, a myriad of things has changed, but unfortunately what has not evolved is the American education system. The country is still following a system which was not designed for the current global economic climate. Equality, as positive as it sounds is not as sufficient when it comes to education. The system treats students equally yet expect a similar culmination and outcome. Every child has his individuality and distinct abilities; one cannot judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree. Conversely, a few of the prominent reasons why the education system is failing are overcrowded schools, the rise of technology, and following the same old school hours.

(43) Schools give one the time and materials to achieve all what one desire in life. (43) In the same way, I would challenge the students to leverage their energy and time to become the best they can be in their life. (43)

As Laurence Powell Jobs once said, “It’s not that our high school system was not designed well, but that it was designed in 1906 when the country was just out of the industrial era. There hasn’t been a substantial systemic change the way we do high school since then.” It’s no secret that the current school system used in America is outdated and problematic. With a plethora of obvious issues in need of fixing, there are noticeable differences between America and other countries. Steps needed to improve the system can be implemented. Although times have changed, the American education system has become outdated and thus is riddled with faults. When compared to other education systems, it is clear that the American schooling system is in need of reform.

As a student, I am often troubled by the rigid routines of the school day, despite the fact that I am actually a very habitual person. The constant ringing of bells, lectures, bellwork, classwork, homework, each a daily practice throughout the school year. Although all of these components promote conformity, which will ultimately support the balance of school and societal norms, they also tend to threaten each student’s own unique characteristics. This then poses the question; to what degree should schools encourage conformity versus individuality? Certainly, a level of conformity is required to achieve a balanced society however, the overall structure of the school day and class, including the methods used to teach and mandatory classes,

Newman states, “the most powerful institutional agent of socialization after the family, is education” (Newman 67). The public education system is tasked with not educating, but also socializing and defining student’s sense of self as they mature through

Education is the foundation to all success, yet the age long question is does the type of school have an immense impact on the education? As we get older and go into the final four years of our primary education, many students begin to invest into a seemingly better type of High School that is known as a private High School. But after comparing private High Schools and public High Schools, it can be seen that both of the types of schools have their own unique features. In public and private High Schools it can be seen that the two types of schools have more differences rather than similarities because of contributing factors such as the diversity in their demographics, student activities, and educational aspects. These factors make it easier for both students and parents to make the choice as to which type of school is best for the student and will help them reach their fullest potential.

In addition, schools are like assemblies that are require to follow procedures. Assemblies follow ideas or rules to have organize the people, for this reason schools due the same thing. However, those who don’t follow the procedures would show a low progress in class. For example, in the article “Kid, I’m sorry, but You’re Just Not College Material” by Michael J. Petrilli shows how students perform low in their academics’ level, and instead they decide to work because its less challengeable. As a result, not every college student is capable of attending and graduation from college because of their education level. However, everything leads back to when the college students were children. Their academic preface in college show a negative path

The instagram terms of service says that you may not “post nude, partially nude, discriminatory, unlawful, infringing, hateful, pornographic or sexually suggestive photos or other content via the Service” the rules that are outlined by the middle schoolers surveyed actually follow these terms loosely, wherein you are not supposed to post a bikini, or partially nude, photo unless you are with your family (Heitner). Like many things, these rules get even more loosely interpreted or even ignored by high school. Upon reaching High School children are more likely to post risque pictures or break the other rules of instagram such as being cruel or mean (Heitner).

The public schooling system in America edifies the paramount of individualism. However, we do conform to a certain degree with rigid school timetables (as visually perceived in Source B) and compulsory classes. Although, America makes it indispensable for students to take compulsory classes as a way of conformity it still sanctions the students to express their individualism with our dressing, our cull of electives and extra Co-curricular activities. Students express their individualism with the habiliments they wear and the classes and the extra Co

Learning how to be a positive contributor to society is an important expectation of society. When students are in class, he or she are expected to soak up as much of the information as they can and eventually apply it, forwarding the progress of a nation. Society expects school to teach knowledge. Not waste time attempting to shape opinion, or recruit students for political and social causes.

The United States prides itself on its public education system making it a core value of many families. The level of education a person has will influence their career achievements. Americans expect their public system of education to provide a solid curriculum. Most of the people in the United States place their trust in the public school system in which they support through taxes. This trust although is contradicted by the public system of education’s current shape. Much of the schools in the United States are either deteriorating, or failing all together. The drawbacks of public education create an unhealthy environment for student learning.

One way to incorporate all three strategies is establishing school norms based on the principals of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey, 2012. These principals address how teens can handle tough, life-changing decisions they often face. Emotional health is the process to enhance ones’ ability to integrate thinking, feeling, and behaving to achieve important life tasks. Providing adequate instructions time in school curriculums to develop emotional health can give students targeted skills to build a positive mindset. Providing students with a plan for life will result in better daily coping skills. The main goal for students is to become working adults in the work force. The positive behavior skills they learn now

When it comes to schools and education, pushing conformity on students, rather than individuality, has been a concern for some time. Conformity is the compliance with standards, rules, or laws. Individuality is the quality of a person or thing that distinguishes them apart from others of the same kind. In the educational systems, they proclaim that its goals are (1) to help each student gain personal fulfillment and (2) to help create good citizens. Each of these goals push towards the betterment of individuals and society. The goals generally cause much tension in schools because they push more towards the betterment of society rather than the betterment of individuals. Schools would like to encourage students to think independently and pursue interests of their own, but schools also believe that it is right to encourage conformity to socialize. While believing that individuality should be encouraged more throughout schools, conformity should still be encouraged but individuality more.

This nation’s best and strongest leaders attended school as children. Leaders such as John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt (“School House to White House”). Can their success as leaders be attributed to school? Or would they have been successful without that education? School is where they were inspired and pushed to their limits. “The challenges of studying various subjects, completing homework, forming new ideas, participating in extracurricular activities, and making friends are part of the common heritage of an American education shared by everyone—including our Presidents” (“School House to White House”). In John Holt’s “School is Bad for Children” Holt “makes a plea to free children from the classroom” (Preface). He outlines several ways that America 's education system is harming children and introduces several ways he believes it can be improved. Although Holt makes a few logical arguments, his essay lacks credibility and his ideas to abolish school attendance, to always have paired learning, and to end fixed curriculum (leave much to be argued)

Modern schools in the United States suppress creativity, encourage competition, neglect students, resist change and further inequality, and therefore fail to serve the purpose of a true education.