Why we need metal detectors in schools

The safety of students is of paramount importance and that is why we always end up debating the need of metal detectors in schools, but the recent violent attacks in schools have strengthen the case of having metal detectors in schools. Around ninety percent of parents feel that the kids would be more secured and safe if we have metal detectors for schools. I don’t think we need to wait for a bigger catastrophe to happen to spice up the debate again. We need to be prepared to prevent any more violent attacks on our kids in school and metal detectors can pave way for the preventive approach.

The only downside of having metal detectors for schools is that the added burden on taxes to be paid, but this is a far lesser price compared to the safety of your kids by enhancing the school security. Given below are the arguments in favor of having metal detectors.

• Safety of students

I am sure that like me, majority of you would rate the safety of your kids above anything else including cost, inconvenience, public image and other such things. We should learn from the very recent absurd shootings at Columbia University and Virginia Tech that it only takes a few moments of madness to completely ruin everything and cause irreparable damage. Thus, enhancing school security is the only option to prevent other such incidents in future and this completely wins the debate against the negative image of the metal detectors. These metal detectors prevent guns and sharp metallic objects like knifes carried by students. This will also reduce the formation of gangs and crime made by students in the school premises. This will prevent anyone from carrying any illegal metallic objects through the school gates.

• Enhanced school security

These metal detectors not only prevent guns or sharp metallic objects, but it also captures other metallic objects like bombs. It is the right time to safeguard against the rising terrorism and when it comes to the safety of your kids, you will be willing to take the sternest measures to ensure their safety. These metal detectors can prove to be your tools against terrorism and prevent any such incident from occurring in the schools where your kids study. This makes the school prepared to prevent any violent attacks or bomb threats by the lurking terrorism.

• A proven path

The arguments against the installation of metal detectors for school is that it creates a negative image in minds of the parents as well as kids as there is no place for guns and knives where kids go to study and this restricts the parents from enrolling the kids in such schools, but such metal detectors have been of security checks at theme parks such as Disneyland. These theme parks are also dominated by kids and it is also a place to have fun and enjoy and there is no place for violence, but if safety is given highest regard here, then why should it not be given the highest regard where the kids spend nearly one fourth of their time. If the format has worked for a theme park like Disneyland, then there should not be a problem replicating it in schools with lesser intensity of students.

• A fighting chance

The safety of the kids cannot be guaranteed by simply installing metal detectors; it also depends on the management and their efficiency of handling threats and deterring it. But, it does guarantee a fighting chance of preventing any violent incidence instead of students being dead ducks in a terror attack. You can see statistics here. I understand that it is the violation of the constitution and human rights to search kids for their belongings when they go to school, but after the recent terror attacks, the securities have beefed up on airports and other public places to check for personal belongings in suspected individuals, so I don’t think we should have a problem in doing the same in schools. Of course, it will cause a lot of inconvenience, it will induce lethargy due to the time required for checking each individual and we will have to bear the additional cost, but a parent worried for my kid’s safety, I am willing to accept it to give my kid a fighting chance.

There are no doubts that installing metal detectors for schools will definitely help beef up the school security and eventually make it a safer place for the kids to study and I believe this should be the end of argument as there is nothing more precious for a parent than the safety of his or her kids. All the arguments made against it should be put to rest as none of them can topple the importance of safety and security of students.