Silence of the children

Imagine people walking silently in single file along a hall under the stern eye of a supervisor. You might think it’s dangerous inmates being escorted to the prison yard, but it is not - it’s about pupils at several schools across the UK, that have adopted the complete silence policy.
Under this policy, children are not allowed to talk to each other not even during the breaks. Instead, they’re supposed to pick up their books and march in silence to their next class, where, obviously, they’re expected to remain silent. The headteacher at The Albany School in Hornchurch says the rule was meant to improve discipline and help children focus on learning. Another reason - equality, so the meekest and the less confident children would not feel excluded. If all the children are meek, no one will notice you’re afraid to open your mouth! (Wasn't school supposed to teach children how to socialize and make friends?!)

The Michaela community school in Brent is even stricter - the children are not only supposed to walk in silence, but also follow the white line woven into the black carpet in the halls. I don’t know if going a little bit to the left gets you detention, but being one minute late certainly does. As does not having a ruler or reacting badly to the teacher’s instructions.
The staff at these schools are not only paid to torture children, but also they receive praise for it - a good review from the inspection board and glowing press articles. It’s an example other schools should follow, we’re being told.
Strange as it may seem, parents are not only comfortable with such strict codes, but they actually fight for a place at such institutions. Presumably, at work, the parents themselves are made to wear magnetic tags that monitor the time wasted in the restroom. If grown-ups allow being treated as inmates why would they consider children deserve a better treatment or having any rights?
Most of the people my age were educated in public schools and I’m sure you’d agree the best part was having fun with friends, joking, playing games during the break. My unschooled son once told me he’d like to go to school but only for the breaks. Oh, well…
For some reason, the UK is considered a civilized country and yet it allows and promotes mistreatment of children to a degree one would expect to encounter in places like North Korea. Maybe. I grew up under a communist regime and went to a communist school and, yes, we had lots of fun. During the breaks and even during classes. Like when the funniest kid in class makes a joke and the children start laughing and the teacher joins in. No such thing in the civilized schools of England - that would be a gross violation of discipline and a waste of time better spent studying.

And, speaking of communist education, I must confess that I discovered the notion of school detention from the books my children read. Such an idea was unheard of in communism!
The term ‘detention’ is enough to make you shudder. Just think about it - teachers have the power to arbitrarily decide a child be deprived of its freedom for a number of hours. You get detention so you miss football practice or going for an ice-cream with your friends. Might even ruin your family’s weekend plans if you get a Saturday-detention.
I wish I could say it’s the system’s fault, but such abuse would not be possible without the parents’ consent. The system is not required to give a damn about the happiness of the children, the parents are.

Thanks for reading

Images: 1,2