Opinion: Students Should Not Receive Silent Lunch for Being Tardy

Have you ever been late to school? If so, then you must be well aware of the consequences: silent lunch. When someone is late to school, they must go to the office, and they are given a silent lunch slip. Their name also goes on a list, so the principals know who has silent lunch. Failure to serve silent lunch results in RLC. Students get 1 parent note per year, in case there is an emergency, but that’s it. I do not think this is the appropriate way to punish students for being late. Students have reasons for coming in late, and they have things going on in their lives other than school. A good example of this is car trouble. If a student’s car breaks down, they are given a silent lunch for something that is not their fault. Another reason silent lunch for tardiness should be taken away is the punishment itself. Silent lunch does not help students in any way. They cannot sit with their friends, talk, or be on their phones. This punishment benefits no one, and it does nothing to sit a teenager at a desk against the wall for 30 minutes. On the other hand, some may argue that it teaches students responsibility, and prepares them for the real world by displaying that you are punished for your actions, and you have to deal with the consequences. However, if someone is late just once for a good reason, such as their car not starting, then they still must serve a silent lunch for being tardy. Some students have even stated that if they oversleep, they just do not attend school, to avoid silent lunch. It is better that a student comes to school late, rather than not coming at all. Many students agree that this rule should not be enforced, because silent lunch is not the way to handle the situation.