Why do parents send their troubled kids to boarding school?

Question

I probably would of dropped out of high school if I had not be forced to go to a boarding school. Regardless, why do parents send their troubled kids to boarding school? About 85% of the students at the boarding school I was attending were incredibly misguided, troubled and wealthy. The average kid at the school probably was failing most of his subjects. The boarding school did not seem to stop most of the kids from being criminals and failures. When most of the kids leave they will be the same or worse. I think most parents send their troubled kids to boarding schools because they are wealthy and do not want to help their own kid.

Answer 1

Broadly speaking, there are 2 different kinds of boarding schools in the US -- therapeutic schools and college preparatory schools. You can read about them here: http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/typesofboardingschools.php . Jr. prep schools is a very small category.

The kind of boarding school you are referring to above sounds like a therapeutic boarding school for troubled teens. I would just like to clarify that because some of the other responses seem to be mixing up the two very different classifications.

To be honest, I know very little about therapeutic boarding schools. I imagine that parents send their children there in the hopes that they will change for the better. These schools are very expensive, and I imagine that to stay in business they must be able to prove some successful results. Perhaps the school you went to is not very successful and won't stay in business very long. Perhaps their success rate is better than 15%, but the kids you know have not been successful so it seems like they must have a low success rate.

I hope that you are able to turn your life around. At least you have a high school degree now, and I hope that you will continue in your education.

Good luck!

Answer 2

psychologists' researching suggests that a small portion of children, perhaps 1 in 6 at most, have personalities that are ill suited to regular schooling. these kids fall into two subclasses, one that will do anything to promote him/herself and be the star [the main character in "An Officer and Gentleman" begins this way], and the other that is focused almost entirely on having fun ["Rebel without a Cause"].

Both subgroups of children are frequently "in trouble". Both will tell virtually any lie at any time that suits their internal needs. Both will instigate trouble [of different sorts].

Humans can and will change their basic psych framework for life, but only under severe stress. Groping blindly toward a solution, boarding schools and especially military schools dramaticly change every aspect of the child's environment in the hopes that the child will find some different behaviors that do not so stress out the regular schools and regular society.

Afaik, no studies of boarding students as opposed to regular students have been done in this area. I suspect that the "success" rate is low. RL military training probably has a higher success rate.

When these children make it through school and into society, they can be wildly successful. [Bill Clinton is likely an example -- he'd be a great salesman of almost anything AND he's almost totally in it for the glory.]

On the other hand, many of them believe that "rules are for fools" and end up in prison. [which also has the possiblility of effecting great personality change -- Malcolm X, for example.]

as to the well to do aspect -- that's a self-selection bit. Only the upper middle class and wealthy can afford boarding schools (with the odd scholarship student thrown into the mix).


does this make sense?

Answer 3

I think parents send a troubled kid to boarding school because they think they have NO other alternative to help the child mature and change their path of life. Maybe many of those wealthy parents think that because they pay for the education, those teachers have more skills in changing a person.

IF you are one of those trouble kids still, request counseling with a licensed child psychologist who can help YOU to learn why you do what you do. People can change but they cannot be forced to change.

Look forward, not to the past. Reach out to people who set good examples, that is chose better friends and companions. And talk to your parents about how you truly feel without anger or attempting to manipulate or guilt trip them.

Answer 4

Many parents feel that they have "arrived." Thus, they send their children "away" to boarding school to take the place of the training that the parents should have administered. This, of course, is not a wise situation. I went to a boarding school and I was not "happy." I was not a bad person with behavior problems or anything. Every family that had "money" sent their children away to boarding school and from there, to college. This is what we, the world, inherit. The disillusioned and very pitiful "throwaways" that were abandoned and sent to these "prized schools." I wish you well. Peace, Love and God Bless.

Answer 5

There is some truth in your conclusion except that they send there children to boarding schools because as a last hope they believe that the boarding school will straighten out the child.

Answer 6

to get the kids out of there hair maybe? ( expression)
maybe they didn't want to deal with them so they sent them away and it was probally either boarding school or milatary school