is it normal for secondary schools to use fear their induction method for year 7s

[Alevelquestions]

My child started secondary this Wednesday and the school has concentrated on emphasising all the ways they might get detentions. Kids have already been given detentions for not having the right colour pens, for not sitting straight or for forgetting parts of their PE kit. This is within three days of starting. My kid hasn’t had a detention but on Friday he told me he spent the whole day trying not to cry because he thought he’d have detention for forgetting his white board. The school prides itself on discipline but it seems to be at the expense of humanity and remembering these are quite young kids undergoing a major and unsettling transition. Is this the normal approach nowadays? It genuinely makes me so sad.

I think in the past that depended on your teacher and now the strictness is primarily school policy. We had teachers who would randomly beat kids for minor infractions (sometimes nothing). I still don't know why my science teacher battered me around the head with a 5cm thick text book so hard it knocked me off my chair. He never said, so I presume he just did it for fun. Some kids got it much much worse though. (Facebook group of one of my old 'very good' schools is just people reminiscing about the beatings and child abuse (and they're not exaggerating).)

I feel sorry for your DS @Alevelquestions. My DS was a nervous wreck with physical symptoms of anxiety as a result of trying to obey the rules and not get shouted at for tiny things which he didn't even know were against the rules. I wish I'd taught him not to give a shit about education and not bother about avoiding detentions early on, then he could have had a laugh. Silly me.

Kids today are always "anxious". They need to get over themselves. If they are anxious now, how will they cope with adulthood with all the pressures that entails?

RTFT. You’d be anxious too in these conditions.

Everyone gets anxious from time to time. Part of growing up is learning how to cope with and overcome anxiety.

The fact is that there is a serious issue with behaviour in many schools (especially post-lockdown). Therefore, schools have to take a zero tolerance approach which sets out clear rules and expectations and consequences.

The alternative is schools which are out of control and little learning can take place. There are plenty of inadequate schools where that is the case if parents want that.

Exactly.

Starting secondary school has always been stressful.

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