I think we can have these discussions but once we use words like "indignities" we go off in a direction that is not productive.
Even back when I was in elementary school, there were those who complained about the structure of school. It was cruel to make kids sit in rows, walk in lines, stay quiet. . . . And I understand where this criticism comes from. The problem is the alternative. Most people doing the criticizing are not stopping to think that a typical elementary school has 400 - 500 kids. If we let them all do what THEY wanted, let them run, let them talk whenever they want, we would have chaos instead of education. And I don't think anyone wants that. We have rules in school for the same reason we have them at football games or parades or any events attracting a large crowd. The rules and procedures keep people safe. Do we overdo it sometimes? Yes. The best example I can think of is the out of control TSA nonsense at our airports. But I sure don't see those rules going away anytime soon.
A friend of mine not long ago complained to me about what he called 'regimentation' in our schools. I pointed out that everywhere we go in life there are rules and we don't always like them. Schools are preparing kids for life in the real world, and rules are just a part of that preparation. And he said well, he was hoping the world wouldn't be so regimented when his kids grew up. My reply - fat chance.
The vast majority of teachers I know are compassionate loving people. We usually strive to support the same kind of climate in our classrooms and in our schools that we would want in our own child's school. We want our own children to feel safe and nurtured in school. We don't want them bullied. And in order to keep them safe, we ask them to behave accordingly and to respect others. Yes, sometimes that means they can't talk at lunch. And trust me, as soon as you spend just 5 minutes in a school cafeteria that is out of control, you'll understand why that no talking rule was enforced. And hopefully, it's just a temporary policy. We know kids like the freedom they have to visit with their friends over a meal. That's human, something we all enjoy, engrained in our culture.
So rather than complaining about perceived indignities, I would ask the concerned parties to spend some time in a school and observe the climate and hopefully understand the reason for the rules they feel are unfair.
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