Rules for the sake of rules
In my school, there are very few places where you can actually be alone. As a sixth-former I am given free periods in order to do some private study, but it is really quite difficult to concentrate with someone coming up to me and at best asking what I’m doing and at worst attacking my keyboard.
The sixth-form common room is always packed and full of the sound of pop music from the television permanently stuck on some music channel. The library doesn’t like you spending too much time in there without a book and won’t let you listen to any music and the room that is designated for private study is so packed there is no chance of any privacy.
Inside the foyer of the humanities block is a bench that is totally unused and a power socket used only by the cleaners. No teachers had a problem with me sitting there last year—I just sat did my work and listened to my iPod.
Now the school have imposed a new rule which states that no sixth-formers should be in the corridors during lessons. This means that I now cannot sit on my own. When asked to move I explained myself and they suggested that I find a teacher who’s room is free and ask to use it; the fact that I wouldn’t be alone then doesn’t matter.
There are times when I want some company; but from people who I know and who I choose to sit with, not people who I’ve never met who can’t keep a straight face whilst talking to me
The school’s excuse is that we make too much noise and disturb classes—I can understand that—but people who were sitting quietly doing their work weren’t doing anyone any harm. Plus, in my experience the few people who are in the corridors are there to get away from everybody else.
So I guess I will have to get used to near constant distraction from now on.
