Emma Argues With Principal Figgins: A Detailed Guide!

This is all from a hit TV show “Glee.” The storyline mainly heads up to the William McKinley High School in Ohio. To be precise, in the show, the two characters don’t get along well with each other over the policies of running the school because they both have their perspectives and distant points of view. The first one is Emma Pillsbury, the school counselor and a woman with a heart of gold. She is known for her empathetic approach towards students.

On the other hand, there is Principal Figgins who has strict principles and policies towards school aiming for every student to be disciplined. As the topic says, the argument between the two heats up and thus the heavy words like ethics and education values spin in the war of words. To know this episode in detail, you need to go through this blog that I have brought for you today! Let’s know Why Emma Argues with Principal Figgins.

Reasons Why Emma Argues With Principal Figgins

To move any further, you should know the reasons behind their heated argument. Emma and Principal Figgins had very distant perspectives on life and school. They both had very opposite approaches to almost everything. Here are some of the main grounds that led to the clash between the counselor Emma and the principal Figgins.

• Educational Policies: Emma and Figgins argued over the issue of education policies. Emma focused on child-centered education whereas Figgins wanted students to study and work hard academically without any excuse. Later they collaborated to balance the education policies of the school.
• Dress Code: Dress code was also the issue over which Emma argued with Principal Figgins. Emma believed that students should dress themselves as they feel. The principal on the other hand said that uniform makes all the students look similar and disciplined.
• Discipline: The third reason why Emma argues with Principal Figgins is over the topic of discipline. Emma directly had a take over Figgins’s policies of harsh rules and punishments for students. Instead of punishing academically weak students, she suggested offering them tuition.
• Importance of Arts: Emma defended the section on culture and arts for the students in front of Principal Figgins. Students also loved and supported such activities. After seeing such immense student interest and support, Figgins finally agreed to it.
• Budget Balance: The other reason why Emma argues with Principal Figgins is the budget issues. Figgins was cutting costs whereas Emma argued that these counseling and other co-curricular activities are essential for students. She states that emotional-social needs are directly tied to the academic success of the student.
• Clubs and Programmes: Emma was the main force behind keeping the clubs and programs alive. She understood the value and importance of extracurricular activities in a student’s life. On the other side, Figgins single-handedly believed that it was a complete waste of time and money. At first, he denied but eventually, he understood.
• System Barriers: Emma highlighted the issues such as the achievement gap that is sometimes made by the institutions by certain titles and badges given to the students. While some are given those titles and are appreciated, on the other hand, the other students who wouldn’t get them would feel unappreciated. This is where Figgins understood the achievement gap, but he countered saying that it would only motivate the other students to study and work hard.
• Discrimination problems: During the scene where Emma argues with Principal Figgins Emma shows her how discrimination on any ground affects a student in the long run. Figgins eventually learned about the discrimination issues and took action on it.

The Impact of the Argument

This great argument episode brought changes to the school’s administration. Emma is empathetic and thoughtful regarding student’s feelings and emotions. On the other hand, the principal Figgins focuses on discipline and strict regulations, which helps in the smooth functioning of the school administration.

On one side Emma stands on the belief that at times the education system fails to address the holistic needs of the students. She has so much empathy and passion to support the holistic needs of the students. It also includes the mental health, psychological, and emotional well-being of the students.

On the other end, the principle of Figgins talks about the harsh realities that educational institutions face. It talks about such topics as resource allocation, budget cuts, etc. Figgins also talks about the great importance of the academic standards, where topics such as mental health fade behind and hence the psychological and emotional needs of the students are unmet.

So in short, this argument served detail fully and discussed the complicated challenges that Principal Figgins and Emma along with the other staff members were having.

The outcome of Emma and Principal Figgins’ Arguments?

The outcome of Emma’s argument with Principal Figgins was dependent on several factors, including the level of support from the school community, the availability of alternative funding sources, and the willingness of the administration to reconsider their decision. By the end of the argument principal Figgnes finally understood that he needed to consider the points and appeals made by Emma which were strongly backed up by students.

• Compromise Reached: After hearing Emma’s arguments and considering the impact of the budget cuts on the arts programs, clubs, and other co-curricular activities, Principal Figgins and the administration decided to compromise. They agreed to allocate some funding to preserve essential aspects of the arts programs while making adjustments to reduce costs in other areas.
• Community Involvement: Emma’s advocacy may inspire greater involvement from the community, leading to fundraising efforts or donations specifically designated to support the arts programs. This additional support relieved some of the financial strain and help sustain the programs in the face of budget cuts.
• Continued Advocacy: Emma’s argument sparked discussions and advocacy efforts within the school community. This lead to the development of long-term strategies for securing funding and support for the arts programs and other cocurricular activities ensuring their sustainability in the future and student interest.
• Minor Change to Balance: Unfortunately, despite Emma’s passionate argument and efforts, the administration ultimately decided to proceed with the budget cuts to the arts programs. Whereas, Emma and other advocates continued to push for change through other means, such as appealing to higher authorities, organizing protests, or seeking legal recourse if appropriate.

Regardless of the outcome, Emma’s argument with Principal Figgins could catalyze raising awareness about the importance of the student’s interest in education and mobilizing support for their preservation within the school community.

Wrapping Up

So it is essential to understand that this Clash between these two, is not just a personal disagreement but a productive and opinionated discussion to build an educational institute with a greater vision to provide top-class education and environment to the students there. After going through this amazing blog that told you everything about the episode where Emma Argues with Principal Figgins, you have cleared all your doubts. If you still have any suggestions feel free to reach out to us. keep visiting our website for more.