Months back in the wake of school shooting incidents the reporters at the Evening Sun wanted to make the point that school security is only as strong as people who enforce it. The reporters were assigned to try to gain access into various school buildings throughout the county. Some were successful, others were not. The reporters turned themselves in after trying to access the building and the outcome; schools were either pleased with there security measures or were notified of the lack thereof.

The assignment itself was quick and the students in each building were unknowing of the incident. As I read the news today I was dumbfounded when I came across an article referring to teachers performing a “mock attack” on students in Tennessee. Teachers told students it was not a drill, it was real and children panicked, cried and hid under tables.

When does performing a “mock attack” go to far? I think it is safe to assume when the children are fearful for their lives it has just stepped over the line. Up to 69 children thought their lives were at stake! Not to mention these students were in elementary school. Being prepared is one thing but the incident occurred during a school trip and the teachers even went as far as posing as a gunman in a black sweat shirt and pulled on the locked door tot he classroom.

The article reads the parents were outraged, yeah YOU THINK! The school’s statement says officials are undecided whether the faculty will face disciplinary action but overall they showed “poor judgment”

I’d say! The teachers passed the boundary on this one. My question is how did this “drill” even help these students. The only thing this so called drill did was inform students how incredibly scared they would be to be put into a situation where their lives were at stake.. Hiding under the desk is not going to save lives. Really, what was its purpose??

These children showed a reaction I would imagine most children would in that situation. But does it prepare them in case of emergency, inform them how to behave in an emergency or simply cry wolf and in time of emergency these children will laugh it off and think the Biology teacher must have wore his/her hooded sweatshirt again?

This entry was posted on Monday, May 14th, 2007 at 8:39 am and is filed under Evening Sun Headlines. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.