As many can agree with me, teachers like to really break down their students, and one way they'd managed to do so in my school was by forcing us to read out loud in turns. In my early years of schooling, I never once felt reluctant to speak or read out loud in class but once I'd started high school, other students began to notice that, unlike them, I had a slight difficulty in pronunciation. Before you get the shock of your lives, dear readers, I warn you of the discretion...I couldn't roll my 'R's. I know what you may be thinking; Is that it?
The answer is, yes guys, that's it! Now, many may see it quite funny but it isn't as stupid as it seems because when looking at how I was mocked everyday and the negative effects that it had on me, one may also say that it caused a major issue with self-confidence and self-esteem and I can say that after that experience, I became somewhat more of an introvert. Most of my grades began to slip and I was the most passive and sheepish student in every class I'd been in. The thing not many mention when talking about bullying is that often times, the bullies are friends with other bullies of other classes or years, and in some particular cases of bullying, students you may not even know by name may bully you to another, more severe extent. And that is what happened with me. I felt cornered wherever I was and I hadn't any form of escape from it. That's when I began to bring my hobbies with me to school. I was always (and will always be) a Harry Potter fan and I was glued to the Harry Potter books. They were all I needed to get me through anything practically! Reading has always been a satisfying pastime for me and it is through my pure love for books that I began to write and write in my free time. Although some of my grades weren't doing so well, some few other grades were doing far too good. My English grade was twice better than my Maths and Physics, and three times better than my Maltese (my native tongue). I'd spent the remainder of my years in high school being told that I was a nerd and I had no friends...but what I used to say to myself was, ''why should I change? Why do I need to change myself to be a bully and impress them or be in one of their ranks? If who I am makes me a 'nerd' and drives away people from me, that's okay. I'd rather be friends with Harry, Ron and Hermione than be someone I was never meant to be.'' In other words, I was more comfortable reading my way through high school and after a while, (a LONG while, I mean I've wasted a few couple of years being an introvert) I realized that my experiences broke me down and from thereon, I've built myself up because I'm not a quitter. I didn't give up on myself.
Now that I am a parent, the education system came back to haunt me and this time really put the surveillance on me and my child. Now that I am a mother, I began to notice that the education system acts as a sort of tool which exposes and exploits its students and its own society.
First and foremost, in this social agency, people are grouped by class. Those looking for a 'higher' form of schooling will certainly NOT be seen even stepping foot in here. As the guardian of my son, the system exploited me as a mother, in broader context, as a SINGLE mother. My son hasn't any physical impairment yet the fact that my son is a bit delayed on speech and is 'very misbehaved', the school authority has told me that he has an impairment. The issue my son faces is that he does not conform to the expected values and norms of the school at all times and gives them a hard-time. (*tries hard not to laugh*) Of course, they blame my parenting and say that I am incapable of raising him on my own and will need my mother's careful assistance since their father and I aren't in a relationship or together. Most of the people working in these schools will say that the children which best conform to the overt and hidden curriculum thought and expected of them are those whose parents are together. It isn't always the case, though and some may agree that not every partnership or marriage works. However, very little attention is given to the fact that the issue of not abiding by the 'way things go' at school isn't because of poor or lack of proper socialization. Additionally, as separation and divorce rates are going up in my country, it is of importance to include that these changes in behavior isn't simply just one case. Although each case may differ from the other, it is illogical to tell the parent that their child has any form of impairment simply because they do not go by the regulations. Moreover, it is even more illogical and irrational to say to a parent that their child has a psychological problem or that their child is 'not intelligent' and 'not bright'.
It has been sociologically proven that once individuals become parents, they are faced with a constant surveillance from the entire society and from other parents. They feel a lingering pressure that weighs heavily on their identity and impression management becomes very challenging and hard to keep up with on a daily basis. This surveillance and also, self-surveillance effects mothers more than fathers because a mother is subject to the gazes from outsiders and you will find many mothers who still follow traditional gender roles and try their best to look the part and act the part of an ideal 'best mom'. For what seems like forever, women have been seen as the better care-givers and play what Parsons refers to as the 'expressive' role while the men are assumed to play the 'instrumental' role which means that they are the financial support of the family.
There is an imbalance on both ends, because women are underestimated and seen as weak and emotional and men are somewhat a bit stigmatized as not caring enough or not capable of offering the same form of proper upbringing.
It all goes back to these roles and how they 'compliment' each other. This leads to exploitation of gender, status and even age because for instance, in my case other than me being single, I am the youngest mother.
Now let's talk money. This is probably one of the most sickening things an individual has to go through and that is being constantly exploited in terms of finances. How much can you really provide your family with? From managing impressions of how you present yourself as a parent, to how you present your child, to how you parent your child, to the quality of items your child has, and so on, the parent is left stressed beyond imaginable because they cannot provide their little ones with whatever the school may request of them. As school plays a bit of a 'second home' role in our society, we can safely assume that yes, school requires a lot of things and the activities outside the scheduled curriculum requests that we parents give our children whatever may be needed for the activity, especially if they want to truly 'fit' in. They come up with all sorts of expenses and my problem isn't with the activities themselves, but more with what some of these activities consist of, like bicycles, scooters etc.
Take for instance, how in my country, Malta, traditional local feasts are still firmly fixated in our society and celebrated at school, where these feasts are taught to us as local values. In my opinion, all I see is a capitalist means of making money off of the parents who really aren't left with a choice because, would you want to leave your child with no costume for Carnival, for example? No one is denying that you want to buy these things for your child but can you really afford them? And it wouldn't be a capitalist society if diversity isn't included the wrong way. If you aren't Christian, you have to conform to most of these local holidays. Furthermore, religious teaching of the Roman Catholic apostolic faith is provided in all state schools as part of compulsory education. Fitting in isn't as easy as society makes you believe so and inequalities in social situations involving these matters are sadly taken for granted (like any other inequality anyways). We do not have the diversity we need in order to promote equality and fair share between ourselves.
In this post, I've talked about many issues that are found in our education system such as;
Surveillance and Self-Surveillance
Along with numerous others.
