Security cameras lace malls, cops stalk airports with large loaded guns, and from convention centers to conference halls, security stands amongst the highest priorities. At the same time, society’s future leaders lay vulnerable to various dangers, from bombings to shootings. In the 21st century, metal detectors, screening systems, and a strong police presence arm most public facilities against potential threats while public schools--the “safe haven” of education and dreams for the future--horrifically fail in protecting the hundreds of faculty and students occupying them for over nine months each year.
When used incorrectly, technology--especially weaponry--poses threats to people psychologically, emotionally, and physically; such wounds maim relationships and entire communities and may even prove fatal. The “National Center for Education Statistics” states in “Fast Facts” that in the school year of 2013 to 2014, 68 percent of America’s public schools required faculty and staff to wear picture IDs or badges and a mere “4 percent used random metal detector checks.” According to Everytown for Gun Safety--an independent organization that strives to reduce gun violence in America--almost ninety school shootings took place in the same school year. Obviously the level of inadequacy of security in public schools needs serious upgrades.
Boasting credentials and a promising future to all who attend, the popular impression of public education fails to acknowledge the depths of its inadequate security. Recall that the student population makes up the majority of most public schools and therefore have the greatest probability of getting hurt in a mass casualty incident. From kindergarten to twelfth grade, pupils strive to grasp the necessary education required for their future profession while simultaneously maturing mentally, socially, and physically in hopes further advance society. Surely feeling the cool touch of a gun’s barrel to their forehead or the searing pain of bullets or shrapnel in their limbs is not the future they hope for and neither is watching their companions bleed out beside them as an intruder stalks their academic home. In fact, they entrust their safety in the hands of their school board. Unfortunately, many schools have epically failed in keeping their faculty and students secure: Everytown for Gun Safety reports over 280 school shootings occurred in the United States since 2013. If public schools take as much pride in their students as they do in the degree of education they boast, why not install more advanced security equipment to protect our fellow citizens?
Some people may argue that security procedures such as bag checks or the use of metal detectors encroach upon the privacy of students and faculty. However, privacy stands a small factor when compared to the overall safety of those that work or study in public schools. In addition, privacy should not be a concern if no one has anything dangerous to hide. Public school boards may criticize the number of finances needed to obtain more advanced security equipment while some teachers may argue that the time required to participate in bag checks or pass through a metal detector would infringe upon time meant for education; nevertheless, such a sacrifice is necessary to ensure the safety of all inside of or in the vicinity of a public school. When asked to propose one way to make schools safer, a police officer working in a public school recommended tending to the cohesiveness of the overall community to the idea of “safety” being an attainable goal even in today’s hostile, unpredictable world. If even one or two people do not share the dream of education in a safe environment, the level of safety in their school decreases. After all, the shooting of Columbine High School in 1999 was carried out by only two teens and in 2007, the deadliest school shooting in American history occurred in Blacksburg, Virginia, where a sole gunman killed thirty-two people. These two shootings alone add up to over forty-five deaths and for the families and friends who lost loved ones, the time consumption of extra security measures is of little concern. In addition to a constructive mindset towards making public schools safer, a John Jay High School student encourages schools to require faculty and students wear badges or another form of identification to assist keeping track of everyone in the case of an emergency. Some people may criticize stricter security measures in public schools in fear of establishing a “degree of expectancy” for a dangerous situation to occur; however, by making schools safer, communities join together against violence and potential threats while displaying genuine concern for their fellow citizens and the safe future they seek to build.
Lives are precious regardless of age, sex, or background and deserve the most protection possible. Equipping adolescents with knowledge that helps opens their eyes to dream about their future, faculty deserves security just as much as their pupils do. The mass casualties in past school shootings declare a need for increased security measures such as the use of metal detectors and making bag checks a requirement. Public school boards should acknowledge the victims of past school shootings and take responsibility of the level of their school’s safety to ensure that no life is lost in a preventable, criminal deed ever again.
by Naomi A.
References
Columbine High School Shootings. (n.d.). Retrieved February 4, 2018, from History.com website: http://www.history.com/topics/columbine-high-school-shootings
School Safety and Security Measures. (n.d.). Retrieved February 4, 2018, from National Center for Education Statistics website: https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=334
287 School Shootings in America Since 2013. (n.d.). Retrieved February 3, 2018, from Everytown for Gun Safety website: https://everytownresearch.org/school-shootings/#5883
Author’s Note: All names have been changed for the individual’s safety.