Question

Kim was elected prefect of his school and was proud to serve his school. However, there were students that were always coming late, He had allowed them into the school as they had given him good excuses for being late. When this went on for some time, he put them on detention. As a result, they started calling him names behind his back and spent much of their time making fun of other students who worked on detention. Kim then reported them to the principal, and they were suspended for a week.

i) Was Kim being fair in reporting the students? Why/why not?

ii) Why were the students’ making fun of the others on detention.

iii) Was the decision made by the principal reasonable? Why/why not?

Answer 1

i) Kim was fair in reporting the students as he was enforcing the rules of the school. Latecomers should not be allowed into the school even if they give good excuses as it creates a bad precedent for other students.

ii) The students who were suspended were likely making fun of other students on detention to feel better about themselves and to deflect from their own wrongdoing. They may have also been trying to create a social hierarchy in which they were above those who had to work on detention.

iii) The decision made by the principal seems reasonable as the students were breaking school rules and disrupting the learning environment. However, it would also be important for the school to address the root cause of why the students were consistently coming late and to provide support or interventions if necessary.