School and Gangs

[Gina B]

http://www.news9.com/story/23096480...-star-spencer-high-after-brawl-outside-school

Do you think it's a bad idea for individual schools to train and certify a group of teachers to carry weapons and mace in order to protect the school and classrooms against violence? (gangs, possible mass shootings, etc..)

It's not exactly uncommon for this stuff to spill over into school time, though I've been surprised at how much is kept out of school. They do a good job here and the kids don't WANT to be caught so usually save it for later, but it still is sad that school has to be a threatening place for kids who have so much potential.

Which leads me to...mandatory education.

Do you believe education should be compulsory? Would it make it better on the kids who want to learn if the ones who didn't want to learn were allowed to leave the equation, and better for the economy if the gap between the employable and unemployable was widened?

 

[JonC]

I don’t know, here are some of my thoughts.

In that type of setting, I believe that it may be a bad idea to train and certify a group of teachers to carry weapons (guns, anyway). My reasoning is that the trained group would find it difficult to remain proficient. Think of a classroom/school setting. It could be difficult for a S.W.A.T. team to take out a shooter (depending on the situation) without collateral damage (children). I think mace may be a good idea.

My problem with noncompulsory education is that some of the students who are not interested in learning may change throughout the education process. Perhaps it would be a good idea to offer a vocational path (at one time, schools in my county offered a vo-tech path – but now everyone is expected to go to college). I knew a student who, in the tenth grade, I’d consider an “oxygen thief.” But now he’s studying aeronautics in Florida. As a high school junior things began to “click.”

I don’t think that we would have a better economy if the gap between the employable and unemployable is widened, at least not under our current system, because the employed will have to carry the unemployed.

 

[North Carolina Tentmaker]

I think having trained and armed teachers and staff members is a step forward in the safety of any school.

“Gun Free” zones are simply killing grounds be they schools, theaters, or shopping malls. The criminals are not going to be stopped by a sign. Simply taking down the “Gun Free Zone” signs and allowing teachers who are already trained and licensed to carry to do so on campus would give us safer schools overnight and not cost a penny of tax dollars. The fact that our politicians refuse to even consider this simple step is proof that the safety of our children is not their priority and instead of protecting our children they are willingly putting them at risk in order to advance other political goals.

But, that being said, the issue of gang violence goes well beyond simply training and arming teachers. One armed teacher would have stopped a shooter like Newton Conn., but would not stop a dozen gang members. Lots of things can be done to curb violence and gang activity in schools, but again, our politicians are unwilling to do those simple things like banning gang colors or visible gang tattoos.

As far as mandatory education goes – mandatory for who and at what ages? Who’s children are they anyway? Do they belong to the state or to the parents? As minors under 18 they don’t have legal standing, they are under the care or guardianship of someone else. If they want to drop out before they turn 18 it should require a parent or guardian’s consent. If the parent or guardian wants to home school or even no school, I believe that is their right regardless of age. But again, it is the parent that has that right and can make that choice, not the child. Children do not have the capability to make that choice themselves. Some of them might, but most do not. You don’t give them a choice.

“Do you want to go to school today?” Do I want to go to work today? The answer lots of times would be no, but as responsible adults we go anyway and we make our kids go too. That is part of teaching our children to be responsible.