Guilford Woman May 2011 : Page 46MYTHS ABOUT MILITARY SCHOOLS Have you ever heard the expression “if you don’t straighten up, I am going to send you to militar y school”? Parents have used this expression (or threat) for many years to get the attention of their sons or daughters when they are misbehaving. Unfor tu-nately, this expression misleads our young people to believe that militar y schools only accept “bad” kids. Nothing could be fur ther from the truth. Even though thou-Commandant Colonel Terrence Lewis lives on campus and takes the Cadets well-being seriously. sands of young men and women graduate from militar y schools ever y year, many people have an inaccurate image of militar y schools in general. MYTH #1: Militar y Schools are for students with dicipline problems. IN REALITY: Militar y schools offer a structured and disciplined environment for young people. Few, if any, militar y schools accept students with severe discipline problems (especially those discipline problems involving drugs or the law). MYTH #2: Militar y Schools are a harsh and cold environment. IN REALITY: Militar y schools are among the safest of all possible educational choices because of the structure and the personal accountability taught in the militar y school environment. Positive adult interaction tends to be greater than that in other school environments and frequently is greater than that which parents are able to offer at home. MYTH #3: Militar y Schools condone hazing and physical abuse. IN REALITY: Militar y schools stress safety and concer n for the well-being of each cadet above all other considerations. Militar y schools must abide by local, state, and federal laws concerning physical treatment of students. MYTH #4: Militar y Schools train students for the Armed Forces. IN REALITY: Militar y schools teach students how to live using the structure of the mil-itar y system to teach responsibility, leadership, honor, discipline, and pride within an atmosphere that encourages spiritual, mental and physical growth. Militar y schools are educational institutions that encourage their students to go to college – not the Armed Forces. MYTH #5: Militar y Schools do not offer a strong college prep curriculum. IN REALITY: Militar y schools are prep schools, preparing young men and women for Oak Ridge Military Academy welcomes an inquisitive mind. Cadets get in formation to march to lunch. college and life. Militar y schools teach ver y effective study skills in preparation for the college environment. Nationally, militar y schools boast a high level of college enrollment. For example, 100 percent of Oak Ridge Militar y Academy’s graduating seniors for more than a decade have been accepted to the college or university of their choice. MYTH #6: Militar y Schools are the answer for students with learning disabilities. IN REALITY: Militar y schools, with their structured approach to education, do help students with minor learning differences such as ADD and ADHD. However, militar y schools are not the solution for significant learning disabilities requiring special edu-cation techniques. MYTH #7: Militar y Schools attract only rich kids. IN REALITY: Militar y schools are a low-cost alternative to higher-cost traditional prep schools. Parents frequently find that the investment in education at the high school level opens doors for a young student at the college level that might not have other-wise been open. Publication List |
