'Rules' is a word many students make a face at. They make faces, because they are uncomfortable with the rules set; and they are uncomfortable because many-a-times, the rules set are inconsiderate and inconvenient. That is the point of view of the students. The authorities, which in this case, will be the school management, consider these rules to be absolutely necessary for maintaining discipline and order in the school.
But then, why don't the authorities let the students make the rules? It might be that they don't trust the students enough to make decisions for their own good. However, i would like to point out, that isn't always true. Teenage boys, 15 and 16 years old, are very much capable of handling responsibility- if they are given a chance. In a school like Raffles Institution, where leadership qualities are nurtured from a very young age, the idea of students making their own rules and taking on such responsibility is all the more promising. One good example of the students being able to handle responsibility would be the RIPB: The Raffles Institution Prefectorial Board. The RIPB consists of a well-disciplined and smart group of students, constantly working towards the welfare of the student body. Another Group of students, just like the RIPB, consisting of a small number of students elected by other students, can act as a rule-making body, and work with the other student groups like the RIPB, the CEC, to implement the rules. Of course, it would only be rational for the school management to agree with the rules, before their implementation can start. Even though the management would play a part in the rule-making, the rules would essentially be made by the students themselves, and this, being a student myself, i know, would give the students a great feeling of being self-independent and ion control.
Looking at the other side of the argument though, the school management might be quite reluctant to adopt this new system over the old one, and possibly, as many would say, rightly so.
They do have a point, the old system has withstood the test of time after all, and considering it is the future of the students that is at stake, this is a topic that still has to undergo a lot of discussion before it can be deemed concluded.Moreover, there are certain 'wishes' of the students that possible cannot be fulfilled. For eg, as one of my friends ponited out, the lift issue. One lift cannot be used by all the students. This shows that their might be a few problems if the students are allowed full freedom in making rules. That doesnt necessarily have to be the case though...the authorities can still have a say in what rule is accepted and what is not.
The truth was, is, and will remain- change is uncomfortable, and this is a very big change, in the way the school operates. The Question now is, would this change be for the better or for the worse?
My opinion is that this change would be for the better. I think students should be allowed to make their own rules. I support it, because i think today's teens are capable of handling responsibility, and with assistance from the school management, will be able to form convenient rules, which are efficient in maintaining peace and order, but at the same time, let the students have things their way for a change. :)
