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Clichés in School

by Hanhan

Schools vary from place to place. Country to country. Community to community. But there’s always one thing that stays the same, and that is the idea of clichés.

A cliché is when a name can be given to a way a school-goer presents themselves. For instance, on the wonderful island of Britain, many teenagers choose to carry weapons, dress in Burberry and act in a way to others that is universally perceived as ‘obnoxious’. This English cliché is the Chav.

Another cliché (this time recognised all around the world) is of young women who dress promiscuously and are, in general, greatly sexually active. This cliché is the ‘slut’ ‘slag’ or ‘whore’. It is not one a young woman would seek, for obvious reasons.

Now, we must ask: Why are clichés and school so consistently paired? They are not exclusive to one another, certainly. One argument is, of course, social status. One example of the educational food chain is so:

Jocks>Hippies>Nerds

A simple analogy. Let us dive a little further into the world of status, now.

Bullies>Chavs>Neutral>Emo/Goth>Geeks>Mentally incapable

A little more complex, maybe. And also, more frank. Let us straighten out the facts.

Unless something very serious happens, the bullies will always be at the top. Of course, nobody will favour this. Nobody will particularly like it. But it must happen, and why? Because if the bullies are not at the top, they are not bullies. They are simply nasty chavs.

The MIs, sadly, will never gain a high social status in your average highschool/comprehensive. The reason for their low status is that other students are simply unable to acknowledge their ability to understand a hierarchy and therefore exclude them from it completely. They almost exist outside, outcasts.

The nerds are a different story. To explain the nerds is to explain why many students instinctively repel a teacher.

Teachers are repelled from students due to a student’s defensive side. When school is started, teachers are very kind and soothing. They allow you to play in the sandpit and sweetly calm fights.
As soon as a child begins reception (First grade) this dramatically changes. Teachers become the living representation of punishment and boredom. Over a period of eleven years minimum, they are made to leave the classroom, they are told they are inadequate, and they are ignored when they need a tutor most. A ‘nerd’ is often perceived as receiving none of these punishments (although this is often untrue) ,and is then perceived as ‘one of them’ or the enemy.

And then there are the others. The line between these ‘inbetweeny’ students is less prominent, at least in my own experience; They unite. These are the people who really fight. They fight for what they believe, fight for what they want.

This is where I am. It’s where I want to be. I’m not a nerd, because I get into trouble for my ‘big mouth’ too much. I’m not a chav because I have more sense than to carry a knife. I’m not a bully because I have morals. It’s a place where there is relative peace.

There’s no fighting for heirachy in my particular niche. There’s arguments, there’s people leaving the group and joining it, but you can exist, and break-time becomes fun, instead of just the time to avoid the bullies. You don’t have to do anything to fit in.

You don’t have to dress a certain way, to get high grades. You just have to be you.

Do you really want anyone to dictate what you are?

Wherever you are in the social hierarchy, whether you are high or low, remember this. Never let a cliché rule your life. You will lose who you are.

Posted in: Commentary on July 1, 2009 @ 8:25 PM

Tags: School

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