I had a horrible middle school experience which led me to the opinion that primary and secondary school is a much better system.
It's not just punishing students for not sitting still, though a friend was almost flunking because he couldn't sit through a class. It's teachers eating separately from students, no time for recess, and no adult to talk to without social ostracism.
Then I went to a New England Prep school; 3 sports a year, teachers eat with and openly question students, everyone feels like members of the community and people have a stake in things, and the Headmaster knows everyone's name. I can't thank that school enough; I went from failing with almost perfect test scores to really good grades and a sense of belonging.
I don't understand why at least rural schools can't follow the same model. The teachers are paid less but get better results; the students are cared for and more disciplined, and the academics and athletics are generally better. It's not about the student body, either; we had tons of kids on scholarship that outperformed everyone.
It's not just punishing students for not sitting still, though a friend was almost flunking because he couldn't sit through a class. It's teachers eating separately from students, no time for recess, and no adult to talk to without social ostracism.
Then I went to a New England Prep school; 3 sports a year, teachers eat with and openly question students, everyone feels like members of the community and people have a stake in things, and the Headmaster knows everyone's name. I can't thank that school enough; I went from failing with almost perfect test scores to really good grades and a sense of belonging.
I don't understand why at least rural schools can't follow the same model. The teachers are paid less but get better results; the students are cared for and more disciplined, and the academics and athletics are generally better. It's not about the student body, either; we had tons of kids on scholarship that outperformed everyone.