Would you be open to metal detectors? I know I would if it meant not having to carry books around all day, without being able to go to my locker, and no IDs. Here at Fords Middle School, there may be no metal detectors, but instead of taking five minutes from your morning, you have to carry your books around all day, and you are not allowed to exchange them during the day, only before and after lunch.
My old school, School 7 in Elizabeth, had metal detectors, decently high security, and two sets of thick metal doors at every entrance that were always locked both ways. The only way you could eneter was with a clearance ID. With a check-in once your book bag was searched, you had to walk through the metal detector, and the process was over. The precautions may seem like a hassle at first, but they enable us to carry book bags around and not have to worry every morning about the infamous question, “Where is my ID?”
Other students, such as fellow 8th grader Nevaeh, agree with my point of view that it’s a couple of minutes from our morning, but it is worth it instead of the hassle of carrying books around and not being permitted to go to our locker, plus the constant fear of losing our ID and either having to pay a fine or have detention. In her own words, she says, “I think it would be good.”
Another student, Eve, doesn’t exactly agree. She had expressed that it seemed a bit silly to her, her very words being, “ I don’t feel like they’re necessary because it would just delay school. It might be a safer place if we had to carry around our backpacks instead of using our lockers, I guess, but I don’t think it’s necessary.”
Another major point besides the convenience is the safety of it. It prevents students from sneaking in items such as vapes and weapons. In schools around the country, there has always been a problem with students sneaking in items they shouldn’t have, and I believe that by installing metal detectors, a big portion of that problem would be eliminated.
Not only would students’ lives be made easier, but the metal detectors would help teachers, too. At first, you may not realize it, but teachers would not have to worry about whether students had their IDs. They also wouldn’t have to worry about students forgetting materials in their lockers or making up some dumb excuse to go to their lockers just to skip a class.
Though all may not agree with it or show much interest at all, I am still a firm believer that metal detectors would be a wonderful addition to Fords Middle School and make the lives of students and teachers alike a bit more convenient.
