I grew up in a family where I never really have had to worry about how things will be paid for, I have loving parents that tell me that I need to focus on my education and they will figure out the rest. I went to a private catholic high school, St. John’s Prep, and I think that is where I first really realized differences in class. At my high school there was about 80% of students from middle-upper class families living in surrounding suburban areas. The other 20% of students was comprised of kids from lower class families from surrounding cities such as Lowell, Lawrence, Lynn etc.
Our school didn’t have a bus system because it was a commuter school and some students had to drive 30+ minutes to school everyday, but when my school wanted to bring in different classes of students not just middle-upper class students, they started a bus system out of the major city “feeders” to the school. It was kind of sad seeing high school students driving from nearby towns in BMW’s/Mercedes etc. and then seeing these other students come in on a bus. It was basically a divide in the school and if you were on the bus it was just known that you were one of the poorer students at St. John’s. I think that there should have been a carpool system or something like that with students with cars driving students who don’t have them. I just didn’t like how it was set up and yes it gave lower-class students an opportunity to be at a private school but it also made that divide of class and I don’t think that’s right.
I think that this high school experience has opened my eyes to class and also going to school with people from different classes then myself has showed me that you need to base a person on who they are and not just stick within your class. Its really sad when people only hang out with people in the same class because they are clearly not reaching out and taking in people for who they are.
I came from a school in Plaistow NH So I had a good mix of people too, but I don't think the divide was as drastic as 80% and 20%. It must have been hard to see that divide. Most of the kids in my school were just middle class and we had a small percentage who were lower class and a few who were upper class. We had a bus system so I can't imagine having to see how people categorized depending on whether you took the bus or drove a BMW. Nice post!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed you post because I came from a public school setting and the divide was not that crazy. It gave me a different perspective on the class issue in school. Since my school was also mainly middle class, class wasn't a huge issue. I do completely agree with the idea that a person's character should be how a person is looked at, not where they come from.
ReplyDeleteI went to private school for the first two years of my schooling so I never really got an idea of being in a place where I was with people of my class. Thank you for sharing! It really opened my eyes.
ReplyDeleteI went to a semi private school, but the divide was not that drastic at all. Half the time you weren't able to tell the wealthy from the poor. I think it would be silly to have a car-pool system at your school because a bus just seems so much more convenient and logical.I don't mean to disagree, I just think it's sad how badly people judge and that people obviously looked down on those that came off the bus. It's too bad how class works in our country and how important it is to some people.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to your experience, I also went to a catholic high school and class was definitely a large part of nearly every social aspect. I agree that you should not judge somebody based upon their class, learning about the different sides of class in high school opened my eyes also.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that you brought up the point about how it was assumed that the kids riding the bus were poorer than the other kids at your school. It's ridiculous how such a minor detail can label someone regarding their class. I observed similar things at my school where kids would have their parents pick them up, not because they couldn't get a ride, but because they wanted other kids to watch them be picked up in their daddy's bmw or whatever nice car their parents owned.
ReplyDeleteI, a working-class student, attended nearby Phillips Exeter Academy for high school, and that is where I first became hyper-aware of class. PEA has some of the wealthiest and most privileged students in the world. Coming from a family of modest means, being in that environment was incredibly challenging. In fact, it is why I did all of my higher education in state schools, because I could no longer stand the insular world of privilege and entitlement at elite private schools.
ReplyDelete