Schools all around the U.S. are required to practice safety drills and be prepared for emergencies, but is it helping schools or affecting them?
Many people believe that schools should reconsider the impact of drills before conducting them. Many students believe that practicing drills with students could only bring harm to others.
Only 4 months into 2023 and the U.S. has already faced 14 school shootings. While this is unacceptable the question remains: What can be done to prevent all this violence?
Students and staff have to come to school every day and witness numerous threats. Hall monitor Mike Mooney, a retired police officer, speaks on school safety and dangers.
“Active shooters and active killers are happening, they’ve been kids too and have retrained the same education kids do here,” Mooney said. “We have to be proactive and anticipate what might happen.”
Mooney replies to the dangers schools face every day and believes that with the sad state of affairs, it’s necessary to begin having armed security and police presence in schools all around the U.S. Mooney believes that “it’s better to prepare for the worst and hope for the best”.
Regardless, many believe schools feel unsafe and think there are precautions schools can pursue that will protect others and make school a safer atmosphere. Freshman John Ireland believes that with just a few restrictions, school could be a better place.
“I feel like we should have stricter gun laws,” Ireland said. “I think there needs to be more control and I do think people deserve better.”
Ireland feels that increasing safety precautions could make schools safer and decrease the fear students might have.
While schools all around the United States face threats and shootings, English teacher Sarah Guilfoyle agrees that further actions can be taken as a country to make school a safer atmosphere.
“I think banning guns would be one measure we could take nationally,” Guilfoyle said. “We ban other things in our country. Why are we not banning these guns that have no useful purpose?”
Despite the worldwide debate on gun control and safety, schools still have to witness shootings and threats way more than any human should. As a country, increasing security or safety precautions could make a great difference in schools, not only will it ensure students’ safety but will help prevent violence and death on school grounds.