Lucie Berger

I don't know if it's just me, but this school is a bit weird. Apart from the whole French school-system in general I mean. Maybe it's because I have a history of VHK, which basically had only one known rule: rules are for breaking (at least that's the impression I got). But here - the first thing they gave me when I arrived was a list of rules: things I'm not allowed to do and things I have to ask permission for. A bit later they also gave me a pack of rules for the students. And it seriously made me mad: about 5 pages of crap written in a form of: "I will clean my table /.../ I am not allowed to use this and that and I am not allowed under any circumstances to... bla bla blah!" Geez! Give these poor kids a break! Don't they already suffer enough? Most of them have to go to school on Saturdays (on account of having a short Wednesday) plus sometimes stay at school until 6PM. And they need to show a special "carte de sortie" before leaving the school area, which is closed by a huge barred gate. They get the card after a parent has verified their timetable with a signature and given an authorization for the kid to leave school at lunch breaks. I don't think that they are allowed to stay in the classes or corridors during breaks. Those poor kids must spend their free time out in the courtyard even on the coldest days of winter, because they couldn't be in the cafeteria all at once. And there are absolutely no benches outside, so they must sit on the ground.
The rules of cafeteria where I work (which is divided in two: K'fet for the oldest students and Perm for the basic school) are also a bit strange to me. For instance - the younger students are not allowed to go into K'fet, use walkmans/phones and must always ask for permission even for going to the bathroom. The most unfortunate part for me and the students is that the permanent workers want to see me telling the kids around, maybe even yelling at them. But I hate it when animators do that (mostly because they are in a bad mood) and I'd sure as hell hate doing it myself. But they seem to think that it is the only way to gain respect among students. What a load of crap!!! I think the students would like me much better if I'd let them do what they want (they're not children any more and know what they're doing) and sometimes prohibit and caution them just for the hell of it... Free discipline is the key! Don't you agree?
[this ain't no meka man, this place is a prison!] -> Sham 69 "If The Kids Are United"