High school is a time in students’ lives when they are expected to become more responsible in preparation for higher education and a career. However, despite having great expectations, school administrators do not entrust off-campus lunch privileges to underclassmen. Incoming students have virtually the same responsibilities as their older classmates, with the only exception being the responsibility of exiting school for lunch and returning on time for class. In order for students to learn to be accountable for their actions, they should be trusted with this privilege the moment they set foot on campus.
What’s the point of expecting students to be responsible if they are not given the chance to prove it? Sure, some argue that underclassmen cannot drive, and therefore cannot travel to a restaurant and back to school on time. However, many upperclassmen also don’t drive, and yet, they have no problem finding ways to eat and return to school within the lunch period.
School officials have many concerns about the effects that allowing underclassmen to leave campus will have on the community. Without cars, students may walk or bike to restaurants near the campus. This may cause trouble for residents who live near the school, such as increased noise level during the day, loitering students in the neighborhood and more trash on the streets.
Perhaps the strongest argument for enforcing the current off-campus policy is that underclassmen are less responsible and less able to return to school safely and on time, causing grades and attendance to drop. However, by allowing underclassmen to leave campus during lunch, the school would provide a strong incentive for students to study hard and avoid the dreaded RAMS period. In fact, by allowing younger students more time to become accustomed to off-campus privileges, the school may even avoid future incidents in which they misuse their time or freedom.
In my opinion, school administrators can minimize problems while granting more freedom to students. For example, they can enforce the rule that all underclassmen must have signed parent permission and liability forms in order to leave school, just as it is required of upperclassmen. Ultimately, parents should have the ability to judge their children’s trustworthiness.
The school can also punish irresponsible underclassmen with Saturday school, parental notification and revocation of off-campus privileges. These punishments, already imposed upon upperclassmen, ensure that younger students have the incentive to manage their time wisely when off-campus.
With great power comes great responsibility. I’m sure that most students will be responsible, or learn to be, if they are given the ability to leave campus to enjoy a quick meal. High school is the first step into the real world. Let students be prepared for the future in their mealtime management, if not in any other aspect of their lives.