With violent crimes on the increase, the question now being asked is, "Can students and pupils (across all age groups) be adequately protected from these disturbing activities?"
Statistics from the UK's National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) on serious physical assaults show a significant rise in incidents in 2008, and warned that crime involving weapons was spilling over from our streets into our schools.
Understandably, schools will struggle to find the balance needed between security and openness. In consequence, many schools are now considering the use of scanning machines and equipment to detect pupils carrying potentially dangerous items. The Metropolitan Police Commission has already provided security devices in schools in the London area where there have been particular concerns about use of weapons.
On a more positive note, the use of scanners significantly increases the throughput of subjects and allows operations (in any safe environment) to be conducted in a more efficient manner. The Home Office has confirmed some success of the use of deploying X-ray scanning devices to help secure schools.
Some Parent-Teacher associations have also suggested that schools will have to follow the American example and install metal detectors to check for pupils attempting to smuggle in knives or guns.
Schools were given the legal right to search pupils suspected of carrying knives in 2006, although relatively few have brought in detectors as yet.
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