All students at secondary schools should be searched regularly.” DiscussStudent searches has been a very debatable subject for many years and it can be argued as an essential proposition in maintaining a safe environment within schools, as the number of crimes due to possession of weapons in schools and wider society is rapidly increasing. Hence it can be argued that it is necessary for student searches to occur in order to prevent these horrific crimes. However, it can also be argued that schools are essentially meant to be a safe place and student searches are a violation of basic human rights.
This raises the question, how are children meant to feel safe when their morality is being unjustly questioned?Schools in England have been given the authority by the Department for Education search pupils for prohibited items with and without their consent. They have power to seize and confiscate items from pupils. This can be argued as a crucial element in maintaining a safe environment in schools as students may be carrying weapons such a knives, fireworks and pornographic images, illegal drugs and stolen items for example.
Without regular student searches, teachers and even parents would be oblivious to the potential dangers which could occur if they have not carried out student search. There have been many news reports on stabbings outside of school due to the possession of weapons. Early in February of 2019 there was a third arrest due to the fatal stabbing of a Joseph Chamberlain College student The fact that it was a third arrest demonstrates the increase in knife crimes due to the lack of student searches which is why students get away with bringing knives and other sorts of weapons to educational establishments which is why regular searches must take place in order to ensure the safety of its pupils. In addition to this Parents send their children to school knowing that they will be safe through the number of safeguarding measures and rules in schools and colleges. Nonetheless due to the increase in crimes within schools, it can be argued that children are no longer safe and parents fear in sending their children to school as there have been numerous news articles published on the murders of children on account of pupils from either their own school or other educational establishments and if regular searches were conducted in schools injuries and horrific crimes such as murders can be prevented. This is because with all the recent violence in schools, searches are not only ethical, but also mandatory to protect our children and the wider society. Today we are seeing news reports on kids stabbing, shooting and even murdering other school peers who picks on them and the main reason behind this is perhaps because they are lacking in home guidance, so the schools now have to step up and do what they can do to prevent crime. But it can be argued that it is primarily a parents responsibility to socialise and guide their child adequately to avoid deviation. Therefore schools shouldn’t have to carry out a parents duty. Also Students have the same rights inside of school as they have outside of school and that is the right to their privacy and schools should have a warrant to search students. But it can be argued that it comes down to that if a student has something harmful in their possession or a suspicion is aroused, school officials should be allowed to search their property. This is because School officials take the place of your parent at school, and they have the same job as your parents do, to protect you. School officials don’t even need a warrant. They only need reasonable suspicion. Also, schools are a public place, and anyone in a public place is subject to the rules of that place. Searching is important at a school, because there are times when bad decisions are made and people bring in things that they should not. Searching for and finding potential weapons can help keep more people safe in schools. Furthermore, schools’ should be able to learn in the most safest environment possible and a safe environment is an environment free from weapons and illegal substances and in order to maintain this safety regular searches must be conducted; if reasonable and proper suspicion is aroused, it is necessary for a private check done by police or school officials to be conducted on the student. I believe having student searches upon suspicion in schools will not only lessen the rate of use of illegal substances or weaponry, but it will discourage students from bringing any harmful objects in the future. As long as the individual searches are done in private, with reasonable suspicion, and in the correct manner, the student’s rights are not the most important aspect. The safety of the entire school is way more important, and if possible, harm may be inflicted, the rights of the student are miniscule. The searches absolutely need to be at an appropriate time, in the right manner, and with reasonable suspicion, or else the privacy and rights of the student are jeopardised.Ultimately, although student searches are an invasion of privacy, it is the schools responsibility to keep a safe environment for the pupils and for this reason it doesn’t matter if it is an invasion of property. Parents would much rather know that their child has an unorganised school bag, rather than hearing their child wont make it to their 16th birthday. With the number of crimes rising within and outside of school premises, student searches must be a regular obligation as many crimes and harm to students and even teachers can be prevented and if regular searches are conducted students will no longer bring in prohibited items because they know they will get caught. Searches are mandatory in every school and if they are not conducted, teachers as well as students safety is at risk. Hence, we must carry regular searches to remove this risk and ensure safety.