by Nika Caramel

Created on: July 01, 2009

Of course schools have the right to inspect lockers, backpacks, and other personal items a student may have. And this is coming from a high school student! In high schools and even junior highs now there are problems that wouldn't have been there in our parent's time. Just look at the school shootings around the world now, and the drug, smoking, and drinking problems getting worse and worse with younger people in my generation.

Although searching a student's locker with no reason IS a breach of privacy, if there is a decent reason like having heard the student is selling drugs on campus or in the school building or that they've been saying things that may be taken as threatening to a teacher, staff member, or other student it would be perfectly fine. If there's anything that could be harming people or causing problems, especially illegal ones, staff members have the right to find out and put a stop to it.

Then let's think about this: If there isn't anything you have to hide in your locker, backpack, etcetera... why would it matter if someone checked your belongings? Exactly, it shouldn't. Searching purses and backpacks upon entering a school would have the exact same meaning as at an airport or concert, and searching lockers would be like the luggage checks before packing the suitcases on a flight. It's all for the well-being of the students, teachers, and the several other people who go in and out of the school each day.

For the students and parents who would be against locker and bag searches: What's more important, privacy or safety? In the United States now, unfortunately, many people would actually say privacy. But you or your child go to school, and maybe the person a few lockers down is selling drugs. Maybe the girl across the hall is storing vodka to share with her friends in her locker. Maybe that one quiet boy down the hall has a grudge against you for knocking him down in the hallway and not helping him up or apologizing and is going to do something about it.

Just by giving a little bit of privacy away many incidents like that could be prevented before they get out of hand. Someone selling drugs could be stopped before they can even get them inside the school, and a student trying to bring in alchohol could be caught. Anybody trying to bring in a dangerous weapon, knowing of the security and policies that could already be set up, might be detered before even thinking of something like that.

So now a question for you: would you rather have a better chance to be safe from all of that just by giving up a tiny bit of privacy, or would you rather keep your privacy and turn your back on the many threats that are possible?

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