RESIDENTIAL EDUCATION

Residential Education

Residential Education

Abstract

Residential Education, broadly defined, is a pre-college education provided in an environment where students both live and learn outside of their family homes. Varied forms of residential education have been in existence in the United States since before the nation's founding. Some typical forms of residential education include boarding schools, preparatory schools, orphanages, children and youth villages, residential academies, military schools and, most recently, residential charter schools.

Introduction

Residential education is effective and beneficial for most adolescents. An important factor to whether the experience was beneficial for these students heavily relies on the reasons they were enrolled in these institutions. Overall, residential education helps adolescents socialize, learn, and gain independence (Goldsmith 2000, 45). Out of the 39 subjects surveyed, eighteen respondents (46.2%) mentioned that they gained independence by living without their parents. Ramon is a unique individual that grew up with his family on a boarding school campus.

While Flint (1993) includes orphanages and youth villages in his definition of residential education, this study focuses on boarding schools, wilderness programs, brat camps, and military academies. As these institutions become more affordable, their popularity and enrollment rates increase; but, “little is known about the use of residential education programs in the United States. Even less is known about the use of residential education with foster youth or with other youth at risk of school failure” (Lee and Barth 2009: 156). It is common in today's society for parents with at risk youth to consider enrolling them in means of residential education, or newer types of therapeutic, residential education. By studying the types of institutions and their affects on adolescents, we can discover the benefits, disadvantages and variations of learning and living away from home.

Boarding schools were the first types of residential education in the U.S. Although they began as a way to prevent excessive transportation, they soon became elitist institutions, mainly located in the Northeast, as a way for upper class parents to assure that their child obtains a good education:

There are many reasons why parents enroll their children in means of residential education. Because these institutions are often private and expensive, the educational benefits are a common reason to attend. When boarding schools were formed, a common benefit was social mobility, because adolescents are able to network and make connections with elite individuals. This type of boarding school, however, is becoming less popular in our society (Flint 1993, 73). Recently, it has become more common that at risk youth enroll in these institutions as a way to gain independence from their family and learn how to behave in society.

The reasons why an individual attends a residential institution is directly related to the change in the parent child relationship. Nick D., one of the formerly at risk subjects, explains why he attended a Christian boarding school at fifteen and immediately blames his parents:

Changes in the child parent relationships for formerly at risk students were generally negative. Because their attendance was involuntary, they were less likely to maintain or develop a ...