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EDITORIAL: COLOUR DIVISIONS: Montgomery High School's Policy sends the wrong signal.
Officials of the Montgomery
High School could never imagine that their idea to bulid community through colour coded ID'S would backfire on them so badly. For the student of the school the idea seems to be a very ill-adviced one and almost the whole school has united in opposition against this ill- adviced policy. The school officials should listen to the voices of the student against this ill- adviced policy and should discard it as soon as possible.
With close to 3000 students , Blair in Montgomery County is its largest High School.In an effort to improve its academic quality the school has introduced small academies within the school a very worthy move. The trouble has started when the administration had asked the students to wear colour ID badges to classify them. So the students in the well regarded and exclusive science magnet section wear white badges, seniors in the non magnet section wear black badges, fresh students wear red and so on to the tune of 11 colors.Not only are the color choices inappropriate as already some freshers have become targets of hazing but the whole thing smells of the public caste system. With already divisions based on academics, race and economics existing in the school the students feel this new move will divide the school further into divisions.
No doubt the intentions of the school officials were good though it is quite worrisome that people who deal with teenagers on daily basis had no clue as to how this policy would have been received.Even though the principal of the school Mr Philip Gainous dismisses student complaints as mere unhappiness about the fines and penalities imposed on them for forgetting to wear the badges. No doubt that is a part of it but he should also listen to the issues which have been raised objecting to the new move.
It wont be long before these teenagers join the mainstream adult world with its badges of work and obligations surely schools should be the last place which tries to pigeonhole them.
Published: October 19, 2006