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Is School a Prison?

© Lucy Appadoo

Mainstream schooling in which the teacher lectures to students, sets strict, inflexible rules, teaches according to the curriculum rather than to the needs of the students, keeps students stationary behind desks or tables, and disciplines students who disobey rather than trying to understand reasons behind their naughtiness, all lead to an unjust world within the school environment. On the other hand, the teacher who observes the needs of the students, provides liberty, in that students select materials of interest, teaches according to the students' academic level, allows students the opportunity to self-correct, provides independence and challenge, and who takes a firm but fair hand with those who disobey (by attempting to understand naughtiness), all lead to free, self-disciplined students within the school environment.

The former school is the traditional, formal state system in Victoria while the latter is the independent Montessori school, first established in Italy by Dr Maria Montessori (previously described in my previous articles).

Related to traditional schooling, an article from the Sunday Herald Sun states that Victorian teenage boys consider school to be similar to a prison. The reason for this is that they're told they're not smart, they are berated or made to look silly, and get the sense that it's best for them to leave school.

Experts at an International Conference will analyse why young boys are sick and tired of the school system in Victoria (Herald Sun).

A number of reasons that school is compared to a prison involves the fact that the current school system is antiquated, whereby students are always told what not to be or do. There is no optimism from a number of schools in encouraging students to make their own choices and to have freedom. Today's secondary schools involve little interaction between teachers and students, being more teacher-oriented rather than student-oriented. Students sit in class submissively and listen, without the freedom to move or interact with fellow classmates. A prepared curriculum with competency deadlines means there is little time to focus on the basics of language (students with literacy problems) and that teachers rush through lessons to cover many different concepts (before students have mastered the previous concept), that restrict students' learning.

A study of 1800 Australian boys from Years 9-11 showed that many students were fully discouraged at school (Herald Sun).

In contrast, Montessori primary schools (can be applied to secondary schools also), allow children the freedom to select materials of interest and those they find comfortable to work with. There is plenty of choice and freedom in movement, and the teacher observes the class to understand the needs of each child. It is also interactive, in that children work with materials and can also work with other children. The Montessori culture is positive and encourages children's independence so that they gain self-esteem and become productive adults in the future.

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