SCHOOLS: FEELING THE STRAIN OF A VIOLENT CULTURE

Since children are almost universally a mirror of their upbringing, schools have always stood as microcosms of society. It is no wonder then that the violence that seems on an upswing in everyday life has found its way into the halls of learning. Even in relatively peaceful locales such as Cape Girardeau and neighboring communities, educators have a growing discomfort with the violent attitudes exhibited in their work environments. It is heartening to know the schools in this area seem committed to making their facilities places where learning can be undertaken without fear for personal safety.

We don't live in a metropolis, but that doesn't mean the people of this region are exempt from big-city problems. Go to any of the area's schools and you won't find metal detectors at the doorways or police officers roaming the hallways. However, some isolated incidents of dangerous weapons being wielded by students in hallways and at extracurricular functions shake us to the reality that our schools are not always the havens from danger we would like them to be.

To their credit, schools in this area are not just sitting back and hoping the world goes away. Education administrators are taking an active approach in training their staffs and faculties on how to forestall violent incidents and how to deal with them if they arise. Teachers are trained in universities about the particulars of academic disciplines; nothing at that level prepares them to protect themselves and their students in the event a gun is displayed in a classroom.

That sort of situation is now very much on the mind of teachers. In a survey of Cape Girardeau public school teachers this year, 111 of 199 respondents (55 percent) ranked their level of interest in school violence as "high." The same question posed in a survey five years ago indicated 29 percent regarded it with "high" interest. Thus, the tide is turning in an unfavorable manner, and the best interests of education are not represented in this regrettable mindset.

Many schools are addressing issues like this for the first time. Public schools in Cape Girardeau and Scott City are designated as gun-free zones, putting an additional weight of law behind enforcement. Some school districts, like Jackson, have formulated very structured procedures that concentrate on crisis prevention, intervention and enforcement. Above all, however, the schools must work with students and through parent-teacher groups to educate young people on the severe consequences of bringing a weapon to school.

The best preventative measure would be healthy communication at the most critical level of any young person's development: that between parent and child. With proper guidance at that level, kids should be free to be kids and teachers should be free to safely teach.

This happens in most instances, but it only takes one unfortunate situation -- mishandled and ultimately tragic -- to scar a learning environment. Because of this, schools can't just talk the talk. They must train their staffs properly for all situations, and they must follow through with stringent discipline to those who break clear and absolute rules. School can not be a place where children and teachers can't concentrate because they are fearful. We applaud area administrators for taking steps directed at keeping schools safe as possible.