Schools Run Like Prisons

"The War On Kids" film demonstrates how the public school system itself might be the culprit behind the issues with American schooling

. Despite the common societal opinion that teachers, parents, insufficient funding or the students themselves are to blame for the failure of public schools, it's in fact the authoritarian institution of public schools that needs to be reformed. Teachers are much more interested in retaining control of their classrooms by any means necessary than in taking care of a student's desire to learn. A public school student's protection under the law have essentially been replaced by an environment where a school administrator or educator can subjectively determine whether a breach of rules has occurred and how to handle the problem. Kids are drug-tested, unable to express their opinions verbally and in writing, and searched in schools whose environment now more closely resembles a prison instead of an educational setting.

At first, the idea of instituting metal detectors and searching students was to shield other students and teachers from medications and weapons. Instead, zero tolerance policies have created a hostile environment without any democracy. Since the United States was founded on the beliefs in democracy, the idea that a public school student is denied simple rights by subjection to intense forms of physical and emotional control may be the reason Cevin Soling, creator of "The War on Kids" spent more than six years making a film that clearly delineates the problems.

The fear that something might happen inside a school has led to public school officials' belief they have logical reasons to institute arbitrary guidelines in regard to regulations and punitive measures. By referencing zero tolerance policies, officials can now wield extraordinary power without being kept professionally answerable. The film chooses to display side by side images by means of a tour that shows the similarities between a prison and public school.

Furthermore, the school appears inferior to the prison when it comes to maintenance and presents an extremely oppressive setting. Not only are schools controlling children through physical and mental means, but also through pharmaceutical options. The students who frequently question their teachers and administrators are thought to exhibit behavioral problems and therefore are referred to medical experts to get treatment. The medications prescribed for kids who are believed to exhibit symptoms of ADD and similar ailments are hazardous and the kids are drugged into an emotionless condition where they no longer choose to threaten authority.

During the 95 minutes of "The War on Kids," the audience undergoes a chilling realization that the malfunction of the community school system is due not to outside factors but the authoritative institution itself. Reform might be the only solution for change, and improvements are not going to be successful without this straight-forward recognition. Today's children are growing up in an environment that does not place emphasis on or value on their fundamental rights granted by a democratic government.

For more information please visit http://www.thewaronkids.com.

Schools Run Like Prisons

By: Abbie Coulter

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