Students in America need a good education to keep our economy strong, and school is the best place to get it. Whether someone attends a private, public, or home school, they're all going to get an education, and that is what is important.

But, there are certain things that can detract from a student's ability to perform and learn in school.

An overemphasis on sports is one of these. I know this is a tired subject and should have been buried long ago, but I cannot help but mention it. Some schools have a tendency to play favorites with big sports stars. While everyone sees this as wrong, everyone also does it. Whether or not it is a conscious decision is another matter altogether.

But it always seems that some students get the short end of the stick in certain areas (schoolwork, disciple, etc.) while others are given break after lucky break.

Do the athletes (or whoever the favored group may be, as is the case) deserve this? By participating in some activity, are the suddenly more valuable as a person? No.

But the fact of the matter is, this has been going on and will likely continue until the next Ice Age.

The only thing students can do is to try and point out the inequalities and force administrators and teachers to be a little fairer in their application of the school rules.

However, this is not the only barrier students must face in their daily struggles to learn. Apathetic students and teachers present a considerable barrier.

The only course of action here is to work around the problem students and teachers, and try and learn as much as possible. If a teacher cannot adequately teach their subject, help from other teachers in the same area or other students might be needed. If a teacher refuses to teach their subject, go and talk to your principal. No student should be forced to try and learn without the guidance of a teacher.

But the barrier that takes the proverbial cake is administrators acting like gods upon their high thrones and lording their power over students.

Students cannot be expected to learn where ideas are not freely discussed, nor is freedom of thought allowed.

Keeping students ignorant and sheltered from the world is a disastrous course of action. A primary purpose of education is to prepare the students for life in the real world, and this cannot be done if the "real world" is not discussed.

In the real