All of us abide by rules every day, whether consciously or not. But, what are rules? According to www.dictionary.com, a rule is a principle or regulation governing conduct, action, procedure or arrangement. The point is, everywhere we go, there are rules that are superimposed upon us. In school, there are school rules and in public, there are the rules set by the government.
However, should students be granted the permission to set their own rules in school? Currently, rules are set up by teachers. This is not entirely successful: there are cases in every school where students show blatant disregard to the school rules. Why do they do this? My take is that they are probably discontented with the rules they must obey, because they are too strict and sometimes meaningless. Why can’t we eat outside the canteen, as long as we throw away the litter? Why can’t students have trendy hairstyles, so long as it does not affect their studies? Today, I will argue that students should be able to set their own rules.
Allowing the rebellious teen to set their own rules will be more beneficial. This is because there is a high chance that they will abide by it more obediently. Imagine the shame if someone was convicted because of the rules that they had personally set before. The age-old excuse of “I didn’t know there was such a rule” excuse will also be scrapped, as students have created the rules themselves. As they have set an ubiquitous standard for themselves, it only makes sense if they abide by it themselves. After all, these (rules) are their personal preferences.
Letting students set their own rules will also not be counter-productive. Already the crème de la crème of Singaporean pupils, will Rafflesians really set up rules that hinder their academic progress? Will rules like “Students can sleep in class” or “Students can smoke” really be applicable to us? After all, we know that the ones who benefit from a good education in the end will be ourselves. Who would want to destroy their own future?
Moreover, with this knowledge in mind, it doesn’t really matter if students want to have Mohawks or such hairstyles, as long as their academic progress is not hindered and they don’t behave like thugs. This is because the purpose of schooling is to give students a good IQ and EQ. Long and dyed hair is not equivalent to gangsters and dropouts. Furthermore, this will allow students a more “fun” way of learning. They will look forward to coming to school in the morning with new hairstyles and such.