Schools say they make rules to help and protect children, but sometimes these rules can actually hurt the kids. These rules also take control out of the parents hands and into the school systems. In high school I was a student athlete for four years. During my junior, year the school adopted a policy that anyone involved in clubs or sports was to be severely punished if caught using drugs or alcohol. This policy was not just put in place for school sponsored events, but for out of school events also. This included the summer months, too. The students were required to sign a paper recognizing the policy and its rules. All the students signed knowing that if they didn't they would not be able to participate. These rules can actually hurt students and they also cause moral and ethical questions about the schools role in a child's development and family values.
The policy said that even if the school heard a rumor saying that you were engaging in these activities they would take action. This led to problems. Kids that didn't like each other would purposely say things where a teacher could hear and then it would snowball from there. Parents would be called, meetings would be held, kids would be so scared they would be afraid to go out and socialize for fear of what others might say. Does this seem fair to do this to a child who is just getting out into the real world and trying to learn what it is about? This also caused a problem because guess what, we do not live in a perfect world where everyone lives by the book. This may come as a surprise but sometimes kids mess up. (This must have been new to the faculty at my high school. I am sure that they never drank or even smoked marijuana occasionally. These rules were not in place when they were in school and if they were the penalties were not nearly as severe.) The school said that if caught doing any of these things you were suspended from the activity for at least three games and if caught twice your eligibility for the rest of your high school career was terminated.
