So, in my high school, we have a system of "Honor Roll." Though it isn't really like an honor roll so much as a list with the names of people who get certain GPAs sorted into different colors. Quite simple, yes? Well, for the people who get on honor roll - especially those who get GPAs of 4.0 or higher (yes, that is possible) - used to be rewarded at the end of their highschool career. They were able to wear white robes at the graduation ceremony instead of the uniform red ones.
This set them apart from the rest of the students. Gave the smart kids an identity and something to be proud of. They all worked their entire high school career to be able to wear those robes. And they deserve it.
However, my school recently got a new principle this last year. Things are changing dramatically and the most drastic one that is upsetting so many of the students is the elimination of the white robes for the people that have excelled in school.
Why the change from our new principle? She said that "it makes the kids that don't get to wear the white robes and be different from everyone feel bad about themselves because they haven't done as well as those students." Alright. Isn't it their own fault that they didn't do good in school? Isn't it there fault that they didn't work to wear those white robes for their graduation?
So now, the white robes are no more. And, to be quite frank, many of the students were pissed off about this. One student told a local newspaper reporter that "we've worked so hard our entire highschool career for those grades so that we could wear those white robes and be set apart from everyone else. It isn't fair." Sure, life isn't fair. Not in the least. But if you work hard and actually strive for something that sets you apart as an individual in a crowd of hundreds of highschoolers by fighting for your grades to remain perfect, shouldn't you be rewarded?
Personally, I think that She shouldn't have gotten rid of the white robes. I've been working hard for my grades in order to keep a good GPA. Not just for college purposes, but the extra added bonus of being able to be different from everyone else for once in my life. I was looking forward to wearing a white robe in two years. But now, I'm not going to be able to do that.
So. The questions I have for you at this point are the following -
• Do you agree with the principal's reasoning behind getting rid of the white robes for students who have excelled in school? Why or why not?
• Do you think the student was right to say what she said about it "not being fair"? Why or why not?
• Do you agree with the idea of having different colored robes for students who have done well in school? Why or why not?
-- Please note that the statements from both student and principal are not word for word. That is the basic gist of what both parties said.