New hallway policy proves too strict

Administration enforces excessive compliance from students

Aisha Abdi
April 5, 2018

At the end of the first semester, the school administration introduced a new procedure for passes. This procedure is excessive for both teachers and students.

The updated passes are color coordinated with the hallway levels to make it clear to the Grade Level Coordinator (GLC) where a student is heading. It will hopefully relieve tensions between the staff and the students. This procedure will prevent students from being in the hallway without an updated pass.

While recognizing the effort to keep students in class, these new unnecessary policies may cause students to lash out. Making the policy stricter is not going to solve the problems students face at Park.

While the passes may act as a safety precaution to confirm where students are during the school day, they also restrict student movement, making the school feel more like a prison.

Additionally, the administration has implemented a rule where students cannot leave the classroom during the first and last 10 minutes of every class period. There is already not enough time during passing time to go to the bathroom or go to your locker, so this policy is completely unnecessary. The administration should work to solve problems with individual students not being in class as opposed to applying a new policy to all students in the school.

While the school should allow more freedom for students to choose where they want to be, it remains the students’ responsibility to be accountable for their education. Students should realize they are responsible for themselves, and the administrative staff is not there to babysit them and make sure they are in class.

Students should have a voice as the administration assembles these kind of procedures. It is important that students have a say in deciding what is beneficial at Park.