Picture the scene.. You are in high school, sitting at your desk, while your teacher is conducting a lesson. The headmaster of your school enters the room. What happens next? When I was in high school, which was not that long ago, the entire class would stop everything and stand up. The Headmistress (Principal) would address the class, “Good morning class”, and we would respond “Good morning Mrs. Robinson”, and then she would tell us to “be seated”. For the duration of the time that the Headteacher was present, everyone would sit still and shut up. Come to think of it, even when the teacher walked in to begin a class, we would all have to stand up, say good morning and wait to be seated. 

This news story, from the UK, describes the struggle of a headmaster, Kevin Harrison, who is determined to improve the manners of his students. One of the rules he reinstated is that pupils must stand when he enters the classroom. One defiant boy, Daniel Walton, refused to stand and was subsequently sent to an “isolation room”, and instead of staying in the isolation room, pushed past a teacher and found himself with a four-and-a-half day suspension. 

A bit of a harsh punishment? I personally don’t think so. Mr. Harrison is new, so has to stick to his guns. If that means a four day suspension, then so be it. 

The boy’s father, instead of reprimanding his son for breaking school rules, sided with him and said that the boy was completely justified in not standing because the new headmaster ”hasn’t been there long enough to earn my son’s respect so why should he stand up for him”. I’m sorry, Excuse Me Sir?! Headteachers and teachers should automatically have the students’ respect – especially when it comes to something like standing up when they enter the room. 

The boy’s father went on to say that the new rules “have nothing to do with their education”. This is where I think he is completely wrong. It has EVERYTHING to do with their education. Even if you hate the head teacher because they are on a power-trip or they pick on you, you still have to stand when they enter the room – it’s just manners, they are your superior and as such, respect is automatic by virtue of their position and this head teacher has 24 years of experience behind him. It’s like being in the real world having a boss who makes your life miserable, you can tell them to **** off and quit, or you can deal with it – I mean, don’t stay there your whole life, working a job that makes you miserable is unhealthy. But in both cases, you are respecting the title of the person. And I admit, some people are extremely difficult to deal with, but as a child in school, you have to respect your teachers, and in later life you have to respect your boss. Or you will end up jobless, like this boy’s father. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in today’s Not So Great Britain… But that’s a whole new article!