All schools today are encouraged to have a written safety plan
with procedures for staff to follow in the event of a dire
emergency. This however, is not mandated in all school
districts, and that should be a concern to anyone, including
parents, who worry about the safety of children while in the
care of teachers.
Although the emphasis should be on protecting young people
in the “worst case scenario” the rule of thumb has been to
write regulations to mitigate insurance losses. Some
administrators have outlawed contact sports to reduce the
potential of injury and some schools have adopted policies
demanding children wear safety helmets while using
playground equipment. Rather than view safety with such
narrow-sightedness and restriction, those in authority must
undertake an expansive appraisal of the entire system with a
goal to totally protect children and to ensure nothing is
overlooked in the effort.
It is also imperative we know what has happened during the
various violent incidents that have occurred in schools to
learn from the mistakes and make positive improvements.