Not sure how it is supposed to work ..

Let me lay a little ground work here. The students at the high school have two periods and 3 blocks.

The periods are first and second and last approximately 45 minutes. They run from 8:00 to 8:45 and 9:00 to 9:50. The majority of my student are here the the entire time. They are with me from 8 until 9:50. Two students leave at 8:45 and one student arrives at 9:00.

Then comes what is known as third block. It runs from 9:56 to 11:22.

Fourth block begins at 11:50 and runs until 1:28.

Fifth block begins at 1:40 and ends at 3:05

As you can see, there is a greater time period between forth and fifth blocks than there is between any of the others. This is called a break. The students are given a 12 minute class exchange time. This is for them to relax, I guess.

Here is the confusing part. It seems that about 50 of the over 1500 students at the high school have problems getting to class on time even with this extra time. So, the administration decides on a daily basis as to whether they will get any or all of that break. For the past two weeks or better, the break has been shortened are cancelled completely. Every day on the PA address, the assistant principal announces that they didn't do well again today and so break will be shortened.

I don't understand. It is obvious that shortening or canceling break is not working. I am not sure what the solution may be, but I am getting a darn good idea as to what the solution isn't.

If it is 50 students that are creating the problem, then punish those 50 students. There is no accountability to the rest of the student body. Are they supposed to somehow cause those 50 to 'toe the line' ? Are they to influence them because they are losing break time ? It is obvious that rules mean little to these offenders. I remember being in high school. I don't think it would have worked in 1975 either.