BY ALEXIS KING, Freshman
BLYTHEWOOD-- Over the years there was the question of whether a Department of Defense school is better than public schools. Some people might beg to differ.
A DOD schools are operated by the Department of Defense to provide military children with a quality education. Most of the DoD schools are located overseas in places such as Germany, Japan, Belgium, Italy, and Turkey.
According to The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Students at DOD schools are performing at or above the national average in subjects such as reading and math.
The Pentagon acknowledged that at least 40% of the Physical facilities are below average.
DOD schools do face some problems such as overcrowding. At home, students may be dealing with the stress of having a parent or parents deployed which can cause test scores to go down or emotional outbreaks in class. The stress can cause a lack of focus in class.
Military children get many benefits such as Healthcare. With these benefits, children have fewer absences due to health problems. Families are also provided with secure on-base housing which keeps the students safe and focused.
According to DODEA, they focus on the culture of learning rather than tests. Evaluations are based on student performance and not standardized tests.
Although saying DOD schools are academically better than public schools can be somewhat unfair. Public schools in the U.S. operate under different types of curriculum's so the Public can’t objectively say which schools, in general, are better.
Mayah Eberhardt, a freshman who has attended both a DOD and a public school in Washington, said at her previous DOD school ,in Germany, was a lot smaller than her present public school. It felt more welcoming and it was easier to make friends because most of the people at the DOD school had very similar “military brat” lifestyles.
“The teachers were very approachable and I felt very close with each one,” Eberhardt said. “The teachers were so easy to get along with and I grew a stronger bond with them than my teachers at my present public school.” Eberhardt said
According to DODEA, students are responsible for behaving in a way that is credible to their sponsor (Parent/ guardian serving in the military).
Eberhardt added that the students at the DOD school were very respectful compared to her peers at her public schools.
“I mostly think they were more respectful because the DOD school really doesn’t tolerate bad behavior,” Eberhardt said.
There are still many advantages to attending a public school such as the fact that public school is easier to access than other schools. Public schools also have a lot more extracurricular activities than a DOD school.
Public schools also have more of a diverse population. Public schools are composed of children with so many different backgrounds and lifestyles.
Zecharia Parker a freshman, who attends a Blythewood High school, a public school in South Carolina, seems to enjoy her teachers, saying she has no problems with any of them.
“I enjoy most of my teachers here. They’re fun to be around and some of them make learning really fun,” Parker said.
Parker stated that some of the students at BHS are a little misbehaved.
“Some of the students at my school could be better. You would think some of them don’t have much discipline. Overall they know when it’s time to play around and when it’s time to get work done,” Parker said.
Parker added she can like her school environment at times but there are some things that need work.
“What I like most about my school is the diversity of all of the people. For what I like least about the school…well… The school could be a lot cleaner, For example, The bathrooms are really gross,” Parker said.
Some of the children at DOD schools feel the same way about the teachers saying that they are fun and they have no problem with them.
According to Ricquelle Page a freshman who attends a DOD school in Japan, and has never attended a public school, the teachers are really easy to get along with.
“The teachers at my school can be really strict at times but I’ve really grown close with them,” Page said.
Page said she really likes her peers. According to Page she doesn’t think that she’ll make as good of friends anywhere else.
“The kids at my school are fun to be around. No one really gets into really big trouble, but when someone does get into big trouble it turns into a very big deal,” Page said.
According to Page, she likes the academic challenges her teachers put her through.
“The teachers sort of like to push us when it comes to work but I kind of enjoy it. When we don’t understand something the teachers always have a way of explaining it so that it does make sense,” Page said.
Though, some people may need different learning systems or curriculums to obtain the most suitable education for themselves.
“You have to match all of the indicators, like race, religion, age, and subcategories, before you make such a claim that DOD schools are better. What’s important is that the students are getting the education that is best for them,” Education expert Paul Thomas said, In an interview with AlterNet.org.
