Students reflect on detention practices

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Courtesy of Creative Commons

Many students receive detention as a punishment for being late.

Tess Rempel

Glancing down at his phone, trying not to fall asleep, sophomore Brian Schade of Tinton Falls counted down the minutes until he could leave. Detention can often be a part of high school that students dread.

According to Debate.org, 74 percent of voters worldwide agreed that the practice of detention is ineffective. District Administration Magazine said that many school leaders are attempting to modify or even replace the practice of detention to create an approach that would be more effective.

However, models of discipline in schools vary around the country.

“We give students detentions when they come in late two times in one marking period. They have to sit here for half an hour of lunch,” said former CHS secretary Patricia Hynes.

Hynes and secretary Catherine Kuwera have given out “about eight or 10 late detentions” this year, Hynes said.

When students continue to arrive late to school, the punishment is extended.

“A parent is called, and sometimes they have to do an after-school detention,” Hynes said.

Yet, CHS detentions are not limited to tardiness.

“Within the last semester of last year, I got detention for plagiarism,” said junior Jackson Pack of Asbury Park.

“I got my detention in October for acting inappropriately in Ms. Crelin’s class,” Schade said.

CHS students have a range of opinions on the current CHS detention policy.

“It’s fair enough. They don’t give detentions out lightly,” Pack said.

But, some students, such as sophomore Anabel Ferraro of Manasquan, disagree.

“A teacher once told me that it’s better to miss a whole day of school then go in late, or else you could get a detention,” Ferraro said.

Junior Alyssa Rasp of Hazlet agrees with the policies overall.“I think they do have a fair policy, however, I feel like for being late, if it’s only twice and only for a couple of minutes, I don’t think you should get a detention,” Rasp said.

While there are many ways to receive punishment for disciplinary action, according to the CHS handbook, tardiness, disruptive behavior and plagiarism are common routes a student can take to be involved in a controversial detention policy.