Summary
Most American teenagers today tend to believe that their rights for self-expression are more than minimalized in modern schools. The school authorities do not even give a chance to grade school students to explain why they died their hair, dressed inappropriately or discussed political themes. The only answer they get is a suspending or expelling for things or ideas, which students think are progressive or fashionable. Wendy Kaminer did a brilliant job and her essay The War on High Schools perfectly describes and argues that the school and its staff have become the wraths of bureaucrats, those who only think about themselves and try to find the smallest reasons to placate whoever had them ever offended. It seems that the school turned to the army, as teachers try to make students obey the rules and those who try to protest and use speech rights against them are supposed to be punished.
Common sense seems to dictate that school is a building which is supposed to be oriented mainly to give the knowledge for those who are eager to study and express themselves, without any kind of prejudice or discrimination. The world does not stand in one place anymore, it constantly changes and improves, it opens up new possibilities and creates amazing opportunities. So are the students, they must not be blamed if they decided to try something new, even if these new things are connected with their appearance or hobbies. The school rights must not be concentrated on student’s clothing. Instead, they should promote student’s autonomy to study. It is widely known that some individuals become mature with the time, and this period builds their personality, so mainly if teachers keep oppressing those individuals they may become closed to society and potential juvenile delinquents. It does not mean that all the students who wear odd clothes or state their mind in public are criminals or drug addicts, all they do is just nowadays called a self-expression.
New Vocabulary
Kafkaesque- the word is used to describe a situation that is quite frightening, involving the set of rules which do not have any sense.
Bureaucrats- officials, who follow the rules very strictly.
Amendment- a statement of the change to Constitution.
Decade- a period of ten years.
Juvenile delinquent- a young person, who is not an adult yet and had committed a crime.
