Why Armed Teachers Do Not Make Schools Safer

Introduction 

In light of recent school shootings, President Trump proposed the arming of teachers as the first line of defense from school shooters. This suggestion came after a gunman shot and killed seventeen people in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school. The president proposal included giving teachers special training and military experience that allowed them to carry firearms within the school compound as a precaution. Unfortunately, this idea is only likely to worsen the problem of insecurity in schools because teachers’ guns can be used against them and it creates tension between the teachers and students. While some argue that armed teachers make schools more secure, teachers should not have guns because they will make weapons more accessible to shooters. Furthermore, armed teachers create confusion for first responders in school shootings since they cannot differentiate the teacher from the shooters. 

Reasons against arming teachers 

The first challenge with arming teachers is that shooters could use these weapons against them and cause more damage. Students or other ill-intentioned persons can easily figure out how to acquire the gun and use it against their peers. Notably, allowing staff members to carry guns in schools makes them more accessible to school shooters who would otherwise work to acquire the weapons outside schools grounds. With this in mind, teachers should not put their students at greater risk by carrying guns in the classroom. 

Secondly, in the event of a school shooting, armed teachers would make the rescue mission harder for first responders such as the police and ambulance. Police officers would have a tough time distinguishing between the shooter and staff members protecting children. Also, first responders and students could easily get shot by frantic teachers handling guns. Ultimately, the number of casualties would increase and the threat situation would go on for much longer if teachers or staff members are armed. For this reason, it is clear that armed teachers do not make safer schools. 

Some argue that armed teachers would deter shooters looking for an easy target. The idea is that since airports, banks and large gathering such as NFL games experience less shooting because they are guarded by armed staff, then schools are safer if teachers have the means to protect students ( Webb, & Levels, 2018) . Evidently, this comparison is faulty. The people carrying guns in airports, banks and social gatherings are trained for years on handling guns and threats from shooters. They have experience in such situations from their time in training or combat. Therefore, the same gun efficiency cannot be expected from a teacher who took a course for a shorter period of time. They are likely to make fatal mistakes and thus they do not make schools more secure. 

Also, supporters recommend arming teachers as the first line of defence from shooters. Unfortunately, teachers may actually escalate the situation in the event of a shooting. Educators in classrooms have no idea what the protocol in such a situation may be. Also, in the commotion and panic, they may not remember everything they learnt in training. They may choose to trust their instinct which puts more students at risk. Furthermore, in this situation, the teacher may choose to save themselves and live the students unattended. This unpredictable reactions from scared and armed teachers are enough reason to conclude that they do not make the security situation in schools any better. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the arguments presented clearly suggest that school need better solutions for potential shooting rather than arming teachers. The government must realize that students are actually in more danger if the guns are constantly within the school compound and in the hand of people with no real experience in the use of firearms. Other solutions to these school shooting may include stricter gun laws or a counselling program to pre-empt shooters among students. In the end, guns should not actively go in and out of schools and thus teachers should not be armed. 

References 

Webb, M. A., & Levels, L. L. (2018, March). Safety in Rural Schools: Teachers as Security Guards. In  National Forum of Applied Educational Research Journal  (Vol. 31).