Military School

About Military School:

The public school system of today is not fully equipped to handle misguided teenagers. Often times, parents resort to military schools as an option to discipline their troubled teenagers. Military schools, which seemed headed for downfall in the late 1960s and early 1970s after the Vietnam War, have seen enrollments increase steadily in recent years. Many military schools are packed to capacity and have extremely long waiting lists, as anxious parents scramble for slots for their children.

Military School History:

From the inception of the United States, the nation's leaders placed great emphasis on the value of a military education. On May 16, 1776, Col. Henry Knox, future secretary of war, wrote Congressman (and future president) John Adams, suggesting that a military school be established for educating young men in the military arts. In October 1776 the Continental Congress, prodded by Adams and Knox, appointed a committee of five members to bring in a plan of a national military school, though in typical congressional fashion, the committee actually brought in no plan and no legislation was proposed. But once the ball got rolling, military schools were soon thriving.

Post Vietnam War Military Schools:

After the Vietnam War, the military fell out of favor in public opinion, and most military schools struggled to keep their doors open. Today, though, the trend has reversed, and military schools have regained their popularity as effective educational options for several students. Military schools are not training for war at all. Quite simply, they're training for basic, everyday life. Currently, military schools foster more of an academic environment than being repositories for juvenile delinquents. Military boarding schools deserve strong consideration as alternatives to sometimes mediocre public school education.

Military Family Life:

Teenagers learn structure and discipline through a strict schedule and an emphasis on teamwork found within a military school setting. This type of environment can be very beneficial for teens in need of family help. “Families" are constructed through sleeping arrangements, dining assignments, and even via athletic competition. This healthy sense of family provides students with a support system and a feeling that they can depend on those around them. Some teenagers often have a difficult time adjusting to this new lifestyle at first without their biological family around to provide support, but they often acclimate very quickly because in most cases, they are there willingly and have a deep desire to connect.

Troubled Teens:

Troubled teenagers in need of family help would seem to benefit from a military school, but military schools actually turn away teenagers with behavioral problems. Alternative schools for troubled teenagers are called behavior modification schools. These types of boarding schools offer parent resources as well as therapy for troubled teenagers. Family help, in addition to the care the troubled teenager receives in a school like this, is crucial in returning to a happy and stable family dynamic.

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