Yet in effect, all this freedom means that house affiliation is negligible, despite students' claims that houses--and the differences among them--matter.
Moreover, the freedom of the choice of house is belied by the history of certain elementary schools shuttling students to certain houses; students select the house where other students from their elementary school have traditionally gone.
The problem is that self-selection isn't always equitable.
"It separates people by class and race and if they allow people to choose, it's pointless," Johnson says.
For example, Pilot's free-form education style "would not appeal to immigrants," says Tri M. Phuong '02, a 1998 Fundamental graduate.
And though students like having a choice, the new plan would make it immaterial.
"If the houses are equal the idea of choice isn't important," Phuong says.
Despite the diminished choices of school and courses of the redesign plan, some predict a rosy future.
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