What is a Military School?

Military Schools are boarding schools that specialize and emphasize a military style environment. Military School students are commonly called “cadets”.  Military schools have been in existence in the United States since the 1800’s. Military schools try to emulate the student life, activities and education around the military and ROTC type programs.

Who should attend a Military School?

In the past Military Schools were for the sons of the affluent, in the hopes of developing fine character traits and education and possibly even to pursue a career in the military as officers. Military schools have evolved as the military has become more modern and public sentiment about certain wars (Vietnam) has negatively affected military school enrolment. As such in order to survive many military schools had to adapt. Military schools started accepting more oppositional and behavioral prone students to compensate for the loss of interest in Military School. Military schools are still designed for students who have mild problems or have no history of drug abuse and want to pursue a structured environment and private education. Almost all “real” Military Schools shy away from defiant teenagers as such any cadet to create a major incident will almost always be expelled.

 What Military School alternatives are there?

Specialty Boarding Schools that operate under some of the same mechanics as military schools but have a different philosophy for behavior modification, and emotional growth could be, based upon the particular school be a very viable alternative. Some well established specialty boarding schools are similar to military schools in they way they are ran as far as structured environment, mutual respect, order, and progressive academics. During the typical day the students will be involved in an effective emotional growth program with personal development courses along with educational videos and tapes. However along with this highly structured program the philosophy of these specialty boarding schools is to help create a responsible young adult and assist the teen in changing negative habits and choices into new positive working habits and choices. Where the major difference lies is where a military school would like to manufacture a better solider, Some specialty boarding schools will help create and empower troubled youth of today into model citizens for tomorrow and future generations.