Teachers and school administrators are held to high standards because they are responsible for the learning of our kids. We let go of our kids and watch them make their own lives in the schools, building their knowledge about life, friendships, and so much more. Schools are not just about English, Science, and Math. They are more than about robotics and calculus and algebra. Schools are second homes. They train students to be the best versions of themselves and allow them to contribute to societal growth.
And yet, that hasn’t been the case lately. Kids are being bullied in school. They are being pushed to the brink of death. They are pressured and stressed. Not to mention, there’s the ever-growing thread of active shooting. How do parents wrap their heads around all of these things?
Active Shooting
Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook Elementary School, and many more… do these schools ring a bell? They do because you read about the mass shooting there in the news. Kids, teachers, and administrators were killed by active shooters who one day decided to open fire on innocent people. This kind of fear is in the hearts of many parents right now.
The school is in a position to ensure the safety and security of the students by installing anti-active shooter devices such as those you can find from websites such as fightingchancesolutions.com. The most popular of their devices are The Sleeve and The Rampart, which are protection devices for outward-swinging doors and inward-swinging doors, respectively.
Harassment
Unfortunately, sexual predators sometimes disguise themselves as teachers. They prey on young students who succumb to authority when pressured. Schools should know how to manage these kinds of people. First, they have to vet the teachers and make them undergo intensive screening processes. Second, they should investigate all kinds of complaints. Third, they should let students know that there’s a place for their complaints. And last, there should be an active partnership between parents and teachers on how to eliminate the risks of sexual harassment and abuse of authority.
Bullying
The fact that young and old alike have been bullied in different establishments and environments—schools, workplaces, etc.—should be reason enough for school administrators and parents to establish rules on how to stop these from happening. Students suffer from complete breakdowns because of bullying. Both the bully and the bullied suffer scars in the years to come. But the bullied, in particular, have to go through counseling and therapy to heal the trauma of the bullying.
By now, parents should be aware of how bullying looks like in their kids. Not wanting to talk about school at all is a sign of misery and probably, bullying. When you notice that your kids have no friends, that should be an alarming sign for you, too. General unhappiness about school may be because of bullying. Don’t forget to ask your kids and listen when they are ready to talk. There is nothing worse for someone who is bullied than to realize nobody is willing to listen to him/her.
Bullying doesn’t only happen among students. Teachers can bully students, too, and students can bully teachers. Your own child can be a bully. Don’t close your eyes to that possibility or you won’t be able to correct such behavior.
Infectious Diseases
The pandemic opened another reality: that schools can cause outbreaks of infectious diseases primarily because students and teachers interact so much. Notice how when there’s a student with the flu, everyone (including the teacher) in that class eventually gets it. That’s okay if it’s just the flu but imagine if it’s the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Schools need to be proactive in vaccinating their population and ensuring that there are quarantine and isolation measures.
Fire Hazards
Fire can be one of the most devastating things to happen on campus. Science labs, clutter, and the cafeteria are common places and reasons why a fire can start in a school. Before sending your kids to any particular school, make sure that it has a good fire protection system. Check also for the presence of fire exits, water sprinklers, and fire exhaust. If the school is compliant with regulations, all of these will be visible to any visitor.
It is not uncommon for accidents and other dangers to lurk when your kids are in school. That’s why it’s important to understand that there is truly no safe place for your kids. Not only you should be knowledgeable about these dangers, but your kids, too. Make it a habit in your household to talk about these things.