Discussion
In the process of creating this site, we have researched various current situations that threaten the rights of children. Among them, we focused on the topic of “Unreasonable school rules” and discussed the pros and cons of such school rules. In addition, our school is an integrated junior high and high school, and there are nearly no school rules. We chose this subject because we thought it would be interesting to consider school rules from that perspective.
Here, the four members were divided into two groups, “those who prefer to have school rules” and “those who prefer not to have school rules,” and then discussed: W and S are “those who prefer to have school rules,” and Y and R are “those who prefer not to have school rules.”
Topic: Should we have school rules? Or not?
I agree. I feel that it is better to introduce strong school rules, especially for junior high school students.
Right. Without it, it is inevitable that there will be more or less trouble, regardless of the scale, and it will be difficult to have a decent school life. It could easily lead to a situation where the whole school would not be able to maintain order.
No, I don't think there should be school rules. For example, in fact, there are often school rules about clothing, hairstyle, hair color, etc., but that doesn't necessarily mean that people who don't follow those school rules will cause problems. Earlier, W gave the example of the smartphone problem, but the fact is that nothing necessarily means that people who dye their hair or dress down are using their phones in class. I imagine there are a good number of people who don't dye their hair, or who look serious, using their phones.
That's true. The school rules that we have now that bind appearance tend to manage delinquents by linking them to hair color or clothing. It is like they are shifting the origin of the problem. The act of delinquency itself should be a problem, but they focus on the person's clothes and hair as the main issue.
Yes, just like that. It's too tyrannical and holding them down for the modern age. I guess they are trying to maintain order, but that won't satisfy the students.
My personal view is that there are no major obstacles without the rules. It is true that there will be a certain number of problems with smartphones and the like that W mentions if there are no school rules, but in a way that is only the student's problem, and I think it is important as a social experience to be scolded for doing such things. It will give them the ability to think for themselves, rather than just following the rules from the beginning.
Yes.
True, when thinking about school rules, such so-called "Unreasonable school rules" that are overly particular about clothing, hair styles, etc., are naturally bad and strict.
Yeah, that's true. Personally, I'm thinking that unreasonable school rules should be eliminated and school rules themselves are necessary.
That's the way I think, too. Perhaps school rules play a role in keeping the school's image from being lowered or maintained when seen from the outside.
Certainly, that aspect may perhaps be in the making of the school rules.
You probably have a point there. Parents and community members complain about the school rules, so the school may have no choice but to make unreasonable school rules that overly restrict student behavior. The school is faced with a difficult choice.
There is a great possibility that this is necessary in terms of the image of the school in the eyes of those around it.
Ultimately, it is not a question of whether all school rules are good or bad, but rather a question of whether each individual school rule is appropriate or not.
I said earlier that it would be better not to have it, but maybe it's correct to say it's closer to that. It is also true that there are aspects that cannot be generalized. We need school rules that are rational and have a proper meaning or a logical purpose. In Hamamatsu City, most elementary schools require students to wear helmets while riding bicycles to and from school. This is to prevent head injuries in the event of a fall, and is based on solid logic. I think these things should remain as school rules.
Certainly such school rules are necessary. It is most important to consider such rules on an individual basis.
In contrast, it is irrational for a school to decide every single thing, such as the color of underwear or socks, as a school rule. For example, the standard for “be like a high school student” is vague and confusing. I think these are bad school rules.
I think another important point of view when creating school rules is that it is necessary for the teacher and students to have a thorough discussion. By doing so, it will be easier to understand more deeply what school rules are necessary for students, and it will also be easier to gain the understanding of students. If the school rules are made based on mutual understanding, the school can be run more smoothly and order can be maintained, which is the original purpose of school rules.
Yes, I agree. Another advantage of doing so would be to brush up the school rules to keep up with the current times. There must be quite a few schools that have not changed their school rules at all for a long time because they consider it as a tradition. I think we can break out of that old-fashioned way of thinking.
To sum up, we can conclude that what is necessary is necessary and what is unnecessary is unnecessary.
Basically, though, it's better not to have it. It is the best way to respect students' freedom, and it makes sense from the perspective of children's rights. However, from a practical point of view, if there were to be absolutely nothing at all, it would cause a lot of harm. So, as R said earlier, the most ideal situation is for teachers and students to talk with each other. It is also important for the teachers to convey the purpose of the school rules to the students through their teaching. I don't think that this is being done very often, and I believe that this is the reason for the misunderstanding between the two parties.
Exactly. I think the best way is to nurture students' ability to think for themselves through education. I also think that the disagreement between the two has given rise to the question of whether school rules are good or bad.
I agree with that. But on the other hand, it's a system that would have to make a lot of school rules if the actual harm caused by a situation where there aren't many school rules. I think the principle of this is that it is based on the trust of both parties, and at the same time I think it is a weak point.
When we go out into society, rules familiar to us like the school rules themselves will disappear. Well, there is a society-wide rule called the law, but it is something that clearly indicates what not to do. The school rules, which indicate light social manners, will disappear, and students will have to think about such things on their own. That is why I think it is better to have school rules that are as light as possible, so that when students go out into the world, it will indirectly help them to think about the right and wrong of trivial things.
After the discussion
In the end, the conclusion of the discussion was that it is impossible to decide everything together in one place. However, as a result of the discussion, W and S, who prefer to have school rules, and Y and R, who prefer to have no school rules, came up with a number of improvements that they believe will move this issue forward from its current state. That are
・It is better to have no school rules (especially unreasonable school rules), but it is better to have reasonable or logical school rules.
・It is better that teachers and students discuss and make school rules based on the understanding of both parties.
・School rules should respect children's rights and help students to develop their ability to think in the future.
If these can be achieved, school rules will become more logical and effective, and more students will understand their purpose and obey them. This will help students to think flexibly about various issues, which will be useful in the future.
I prefer having school rules. Conversely, it's harder not to have them. For example, at our school, the only school rule is practically a ban on the use of smartphones for junior high school students, but there have been cases where students have been asked to write a reflection essay after using their phones during class.