By Anika Sharma
Individuality is an important struggle. High school is a time where most teenagers are trying to figure out where and how to fit in this amalgamation of different personalities and groups of people. Conformity within school puts a barrier on how students want to express themselves around others and hinders the development of particular idiosyncrasies. However, conventionality is not all-together a bad thing; the question is what is the correct balance between the two?
Individuality is an important aspect of a person’s identity. It defines how one views himself and those around him. It is often developed during high school when adolescents typically start to gain a sense of independence. However, nowadays schools are focusing on standardizing not only the curriculum but also, to some extent, a student’s experience in high school. Conformity is being emphasized upon, in hopes of maintaining uniformity. Everybody is told to dress and look the same thus restricting outlets of personal expression as well as opportunities for students to build their own unique personality in school. Everyone wants to fit in because the culture promoted at school is one that encourages compliance over originality. People want to belong. They want to be accepted. No one likes being alone, especially in high school. Being different is not traditionally viewed as something that adds to your personality but rather as a factor demeaning your ‘place’ in the social hierarchy.
Another aspect to be considered is academics. It is hard for uniqueness to develop in a meritocratic education system where one’s definition of success is promoted over others. If you get good grades then you are better than your peers. Those who don’t are encouraged to do better against a set parameter of success.
On the flip side of the matter, individuality needs to be restricted after a certain point of time. The purpose of school is not just to impart education to students and help them discover what makes them unique, but also to teach discipline. By restricting expression of a person’s identity to normal measures such as wearing a school uniform and tying your hair, students are diverted to focus on expressing their individuality through different outlets, most importantly - their work. Conventionality is also important to instil a sense of unity within the students. While individuality primarily focuses on personal growth, accordance can help achieve collective growth which is an important goal to keep in mind. Belonging to a student body provides students with incentives to work together and achieve something collectively.
After interviewing a few teachers and students, I noticed a general trend with students leaning towards a less restrictive culture focused primarily on honing the individuality within students whereas teachers tend to appreciate the importance of originality yet believe that it needs to be balanced with discipline, which in school comes in the form of traditionality.
To conclude, the best option might be to balance individuality and conformity. Individuality is core to your identity, while conformity is important to give you a sense of belonging to a group as an individual. Too much of either can negatively affect a student’s high school experience. While traditionality should primarily be used to instil a sense of discipline and unity within students, individuality would allow students to develop their sense of identity and not be afraid to stand out. After all, at the end of the day, we all are trying to fit-in when we, in fact, stand-out.
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