When the infamous no-pass list came out, I was surprised to see my own name on it.

The no-pass list came out after first semester and lists all the students in each grade who must be denied passes from teachers because of poor attendance habits.

I had always heard about the no-pass list, but never actually knew how one got put on it, and being an overall good student, I had never bothered to even take a look. After getting notified in Spanish class, I asked my teacher how I got on it and she explained it was from having too many unexcused absences.

I thought there would be an easy way off the list. After checking PowerSchool, I saw that I had no unexcused absences or tardies. Confused, I thought it must be a mistake, but after going to the office I realized that despite my clean record, I was still stuck on the list. The student office informed me that I would have to take many steps to be removed form the list despite my wrongful punishment.

Prior to being put on, I thought it was a great idea. The no-pass list encouraged students to stay on top of their classes and gave teachers a reminder of who needs the extra push to stay in class. However, after personally being put on it, I started to see its flaws.

The problem the no-pass list tries to solve is quite simple — get students to class on time. Yet, the outcome doesn’t fulfill the intent. If students are late to class, will putting their name on a piece of paper really encourage them to change their ways?

Additionally, those on the no-pass list are consistently denied passes to places like the library and learning lab, which contradicts the system’s original plan.

If the list was created to support students, stripping students of alternate learning resources seems to defeat this purpose.

I’ve never witnessed a teacher actually reference the list, even though it’s in every room.

While the no-pass list has its benefits for those using it as motivation, it falsely punishes those who are undeserving.

The administration should eliminate the list because it fails to get students back in class. The no-pass list is a passive attempt to regulate attendance.

This inconsistent method of determining the list and, furthermore, enforcement of the limitations the list calls for, creates an unstable system of regulation.