Irrational Standards In The Academic System Should Not Be Tolerated

If you attended high school in Florida, you might have come across the Cambridge Program which offers intensive courses allegedly in exchange for better scholarly opportunities. 

As opposed to what the program promotes, students don’t learn much except to memorize material in order to pass their classes. 

Because schools tend to care more about the academic performance of students rather than their emotional well-being, some people aren’t prepared for the academic pressure the courses offer. 

At the heart of all schools, there is a small penal mechanism that enjoys its own laws and its particular forms of judgment. 

Students must arrive on time to class, focus on their tasks, be respectful, be obedient and silent during class—if they need to speak, they must raise their hand and wait to be called on. They must also always have the right attitude and appearance and refrain from ‘impure’ acts.

Punishment varies from the lightest verbal punishment to deprivations and humiliations, such as removing a student from class.

When the pupil doesn’t reach the level required or is unable to carry out his tasks, they are forced to learn through the traditional means of exercise repetition. For example, teachers assign more work when the class behaves incorrectly.

The system labels students as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ in relation to one another. They make a differentiation between their nature, potential, level and value. 

The Cambridge Program, in its nature, functions the same way as any other program. It distributes students according to ranks or grades and it also punishes and rewards. 

In fact, the rank itself serves as a reward or punishment. That is why it feels so shameful to quit the program halfway through because it makes the student feel like a failure. 

The way the academic system functions doesn’t reach the level of efficiency it sets to have. It doesn’t even prepare students for college. 

Teachers should avoid the use of punishment whenever possible and work toward making students desire to be rewarded for their work.

But even after that is put into practice, we still have a lot to learn from the pedagogic methodology practiced in other countries like Sweden or Finland. 

It isn’t the staff, teachers and directors’ fault for they merely function in the operation of a higher power. 

Since we will continue to evolve and learn, someday we will question why irrational standards were even tolerated in the academic system. 

We get to determine how fast the changes in the academic system come. How fast they become more democratic, inclusive and socially equal. 

So, determine well.