Why Johnny Is Afraid

Mar 1, 2003 12:00 PM, Larry Anderson, Editor

“Why Johnny Can't Read” was a popular phrase in its time, putting a human face on a broad educational issue.

It's time we put a human face on another broad educational issue of our time, the issue of school security. Any educator can tell you that in order for students to function effectively, they must have their basic needs attended to. Hunger, family instability, decrepit school buildings and other issues contribute to a student's inability to learn. Near the top of that list is a student's feeling of safety.

Let's face it, we live in scary times — is it any wonder that school children may not feel safe? Images of exploding buildings are frightening enough at the movie theater, but when they are on the news channels, they are even scarier. Many adults have struggled with anxiety since Sept. 11, so you can imagine how school children are also feeling the stress. Add that to the nightmare of students using high-powered weapons to shoot their teachers, or each other, and you have even more rational reasons for children to be afraid. Bomb threats may be so commonplace as to be routine, but do children always laugh them off, or are they sometimes haunted by “what if?”

Fortunately, our educational system is well-equipped with resources to help children cope with the fear and uncertainty of a troubled world — from administrators to teachers to school psychologists to the trusted school resource officers. They all play daily roles in making children feel safe.

But another important way to make children feel safe is to make sure they are safe. School systems throughout the country are investing in CCTV, access control, door locks, burglar alarms and other technology to protect students and their teachers. Too often, the need for these improvements have to compete with other pressing needs to receive all-too-limited funding.

What must not be lost in the discussion is that keeping children safe is a core expectancy of parents when they send their children to school. Spending money to create a baseline level of protection is money well spent, and it ensures that money spent for other school needs isn't wasted because students are too stressed or frightened to learn.

It's time to put a human face on school security. Little Johnnys everywhere deserve the best protection that we can offer, and technology can play a dominant part, thus making it possible for teachers and administrators to do their jobs more effectively. It's basic to our educational process, and should be treated as such.

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