Assimilation Academy: Difference between revisions

{{quote|''I can see you in the morning when you go to school''<br />

''Don't forget your books, you know you've got to learn the golden rule''<br />

''Teacher tells you stop your play and get on with your work''<br />

''and be like Johnny - too good, don't you know he never shirks''<br />

''He's coming along.''|'''[[Supertramp]]''' - School}}

[[An '''Assimilation Academy]]''' will often feature school uniforms, a good shorthand for students' lost individuality. Expect it to be run by a controlling [[Dean Bitterman]] along with a [[Sadist Teacher]] or two. It will be ruled by an iron fist, and any student who dares question authority will be punished harshly.

* The Massachusetts Academy, run by erstwhile Hellfire Club White Queen Emma Frost, in contrast to Xavier's school in ''[[X-Men]]'' comics.

* ''[[Tom BrownsBrown's Schooldays]]'' is an early example.

* ''[[A Series of Unfortunate Events]]'' has the school in the fifth book, ''The Austere Academy''

* The first part of ''[[Ferdydurke]]'' is set in such a school. During the Polish lesson, the teacher recites nothing but a string of bland praise about the poet Słowacki, finally concluding that everyone love Słowacki and his works since he was a great poet. When one of the students complains that he doesn't actually like Słowacki at all, the teacher panics.

{{quote| ''"He was a great poet, don’t forget that he was a great poet. Why do we feel love, admiration, delight? Because he was a great poet, a great poet. You ignorant dunderheads, get this firmly fixed in your heads and repeat after me: Jonas Slowacki was a great poet, a great poet, we love Jonas Slowacki and his poems delight us because he was a great poet – and because his verses are of an immortal beauty which arouses our deepest admiration."''}}

* [[C. S. Lewis]] felt that all schools were this way (considering his personal experience, that's hardly unreasonable), and it's reflected in his writing. In "''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]''," school is only referred to obliquely and used to punctuate how dreary the normal world is. Every school is pretty much portrayed as where childhood goes to die...in the rain.

* Hogwarts becomes this twice in the ''[[Harry Potter]]'' series. It's not particularly successful in book five under [[Tyrant Takes the Helm|Umbridge's regime]], but that's certainly the Ministry of Magic's intent. Several students get tortured for either claiming Voldemort has returned (which he had) or by pulling pranks on Umbridge. Things go right again by the end of that book, but in book seven Harry, Ron, and Hermione come to Hogwarts to find out that Hogwarts has turned into an [[Assimilation Academy]] even worse than the one Umbridge tried to set up. Students there are actually taught the Dark Arts, encouraged (or coerced) into torturing younger students (and tortured if they refuse), and are fed anti-Muggle propaganda. Played up in the movie where students are even made to march in step.

== [[Live -Action TV]] ==

* Season 10 of ''[[Degrassi]]'': The school dance goes horribly wrong, what with the school bully bringing a knife into the building and threatening another student with it, and with the student government co-presidents being caught stripping in the drama room. Principal Simpson responds by imposing a school uniform and suspending almost all extracurriculars until further notice. Alli and Clare don't like this very much, and whine that [[Day of the Jackboot|Degrassi is transforming into some kind of fascist boot camp.]] At one point, Clare shrieks "Are we even going to be allowed to THINK''think'' at this new Degrassi?"

** As with most Harry Chapin songs, there's a story behind this one. he He said he was inspired after seeing his secretary's son's report card, which had a teacher comment saying "Your son marches to the beat of a different drummer, but don't worry we'll have him marching in the parade by the end of the term," making this [[Truth in Television]], to an extent.

== [[TheaterTheatre]] ==

* The schools in the Fire Nation in ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' are highly structured and don't permit much by way of self expression. Aang gets in trouble numerous times, especially for questioning Fire Nation propaganda he's being fed.

{{quote| '''Ron Stoppable:''' 'Scuse me, scary orb thing? Where are you taking us?<br />

'''Robot:''' The attitude adjustment center.<br />

'''Kim Possible:''' Isn't that the high school?<br />

'''Robot:''' Prepare to be drained of all individuality and spirit.<br />

* ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'' really loves this trope.

{{quote| '''Superintendent Chalmers:''' [[Catch Phrase|SKINNER!]] I hear that you've been encouraging a student's creativity!<br />

'''Principal Skinner:''' Sir, I can explain!<br />

[[Category:NoMind RealManipulation Life Examples, PleaseTropes]]