Adolescents of America, rejoice! For today is one when you should be glad that you are not living out your teenage lives in merry old England. Because one hop over the pond, and you could be subject to a brand new education initiative that gives teachers the right to touch you all over your body.
I'd like to think that the move to give English teachers TSA-like powers would bother me less if -- here in the States -- we weren't in the middle of a disturbing sex abuse scandal involving adolescent boys at Penn State. But I'm betting that even if Jerry Sandusky weren't out on TV talking about the joys of showering with little boys, I'd be raising holy hellfire over the idea of a teacher putting his or her hands on my daughter.
The Education Act in England would make it legal for teachers to frisk students' bodies -- rather than a simple locker or bookbag search -- to search for electronic gadgets, weapons, drugs, etc. The latter two might make this move sound like it's for the greater good, so to speak, but it troubles me to think that kids' bodies are in essence being treated like public property.
It's called personal space. Teenagers deserve it too. Even if they bring iPods and cellphones into a classroom. Even if they crack their gum and uses their saliva to craft spitwads.
Being touched by someone else -- especially when you're in the hormonal teen years -- can be extremely uncomfortable. Now imagine that person is your teacher, who is already in a position of authority over you and as such can threaten you with some serious punishment if you complain about exactly where they put their hands: "Don't like that I touched your breast? I'll give you an F."
Having a position of authority over someone makes touching inappropriate. Period. Even the good stuff can be too easily misconstrued. There's a reason one friend, a high school teacher, says she will not let her students hug her. She doesn't want to be put in a position where anything can be questioned or misunderstood. She's protecting the kids as much as she's protecting her job.
How would you react if a teacher frisked your child?
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Comments 12
I'm all for it if it protects children from being harmed by weapons brought into the school by other students!
Right. Because you know, the fourth amendment shouldn't apply to teenagers as well. I love how these kinds of things happen and we think we're being safer. I realize this is in England, but honestly, it might as well be here with all of the rights that we freely give up every day under the guise of "safety".
This is um... well... very questionable at best. It's kind of like the New Jersey driving law that requires teens with a provisional license to put a red sticker on their license plate. Hmmm..... I don't think this is going to save kids lives by having them pulled over and fined if they're out past curfew. I think they are going to get kidnapped/robbed/raped because they are young and for the most part defenseless. Yes, pedophile teachers now have a right to feel teens up and down, not okay
BeahviorExpert what do they expect the red tag will do besides what you listed and what if it's a shared car? My first car I had to share with my mother until they got her a new car. What are the red tags meant as a warning to all other drivers "get away as fast as you can new driver?"
And my dad would be damned if a teacher did a full body frisk of me no matter what they thought especially if I didn't have the suspected phone/drugs/weapons whatevs. Wouldn't matter if it was law or not!!
This headline is incendiary at best. It implies that teachers WANT to put their hands all over teenage students. Teachers want to educate and inspire their students, not pursue them in a sexual manner. There are millions of teachers in this country that are not molesting their students and are instead providing them with a meaningful and engaging education. Please do not lump all teachers together with teachers who behave inappropriately with students, it's unfair and mean.
I'd break the teachers fingers.
Thats what campus police and administrators are for, the teachers can keep their hands off my kid.