photo credit: Malak Chahboub
The bell rang, leading to the end of yet another lecture built on pure memorization. Students filed out of classrooms, their faces blank.
In the public school system, students are taught to memorize, not to question or explore. Critical thinking rarely makes an appearance. Over half of the United States believes that the K-12 education system is ‘going in the wrong direction’, according to Pew Research Center.
Right now, the world is in a constant state of change. Those who refuse to change with it fall behind, and unfortunately, I believe the public school system in the United States has not kept up with the times.
In a study conducted on more than 20,000 high school students by researchers from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, nearly 75 percent of students reported negative feelings related to school, the most common answers were feeling ‘tired,’ ‘stressed’ and ‘bored.’
With a mental health crisis occurring among teenagers, schools have shown little initiative to foster a healthier or more positive environment. In the United States, one in six youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder, according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness.
Several aspects of school create stress, anxiety and depression for children across the United States. The system is in need of a major change, built around ideas that prioritize the health of students.
Starting off, the emphasis on testing and grades is one of the most frustrating and stressful parts of our education system. The insane pressure of performance when it comes to assessments creates an extremely toxic environment.
Countless times, I have seen my classmates break down under the pressure of grading. With seemingly no choice, they sacrifice their mental health for numbers on a paper.
It’s alarming to me how worth is measured unnecessarily by a single test score rather than real abilities or efforts. Grades are directly correlated to mental health, as in several studies, a low grade point average is closely associated with depression.
To put it simply, with the current grading system, students are constantly assessed, ranked, and compared. This is constantly fostering a mindset where students are tying their self-worth to their grades.
Another large issue surrounding school is that students are sleep deprived. The average start time for US public high schools is 8 a.m, according to NCES with Olentangy high schools starting at 7:20 a.m.
With such an early start, it is almost impossible for students to get the amount of sleep recommended for their health. After school activities such as sports, music, or work often run late and with homework it can be difficult to manage the time and even prioritize sleep.
According to Columbia, insufficient sleep has proven to cause negative emotions and harm emotional responses to stress. Sleep problems can contribute to worsening mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
Making a change to improve the school system would have to include getting rid of the rigid and test-driven ways and creating a way to prioritize student well-being. Social and emotional development should also be considered.
Advocates for the change of our public schools are suggesting making mental health resources more accessible. Reducing mental pressure and allowing for schedule flexibility to focus on life could create a much more supportive learning environment.
