When I was young we used to believe that all the troublemakers that vanished without any explanation where sent to a military avademy. Can you be sent to a military academy without your permission? Or do you have to volunteer? If you get in enough trouble are you given a choice of military academy or jail like they show in movies?
But doesn’t this question boil down to, “Can parents enroll a minor child in a private school despite the child’s protests?” (?) Of course they can. It’s done all the time.
“Military Academies” are just theme boarding schools. They may play at being soldiers but they aren’t. They have no formal relationship with the real US military.
You could set up a Pirate Academy and parents could force kids to go there and it would be exactly the same thing.
The OP is talking about a military school. Which is a junior/senior high school run along military lines. They can be either public or private. Many of the private ones are college prep schools with strict addmissions standards.
Military academies are colleges where high-school graduates can go to become military officers. Obviously you can’t be forced to go to one against your will, since you must be an adult to attend college. The academies in the US are:
US Military Academy (West Point) for army officers,
US Naval Academy (Annapolis) for navy and Marine officers,
US Air Force Academy,
US Coast Guard Academy, and
US Merchant Marine Academy
What you’re thinking of are probably military schools, which are high-school level institutions with military-style training and discipline. Some of these are prep schools which the military academies actively recruit from, and some are unaffiliated private institutions. Obviously, a parent can choose which school their child attends.
Also, there has been a minor wave of “boot camp” style summer camps (?) for out of control youngsters. If I recall, one made the news recently, in Florida, because they did not properly recognise when a particular kid was in need of medical attention in time to save his life…
But the point is that the parent can send their kid to these places despite the wishes of the child.
I think military academies being used as a disciplinary measure and threat is not as popular as it used to be, maybe because of the cost… anybody know the tuition in these places off the top of your head?
Friends of ours sent their daughter to a military school in VA - I cannot remember how much they paid back then, but currently tuition for a boarding student (which she was) is about $25,000 at that school. Day students pay about half that.
I just want to say that if you actually set up a Pirate Academy, I’ll definitely force my kids to go there.
You want a Pirate Academy? I got your Pirate Academy right here:
Ok. Thanks. 