Zero-Tolerance Times Talk

Type: Education - Lecture
Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Time: 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Location: Basement of Beeson Hall at GCSU

Description: A 6-year-old boy suspended from school for a Cub Scout utensil...an Eagle Scout suspended for a keychain pocketknife...Is this policy taking things to an extreme?

Check out these articles and come to Times Talk to voice your opinion! FREE PIZZA!!!!!!!!!!

NYTimes--It's a Fork, It's a Spoon, It's a ... Weapon?:

NYTimes--Suspended 6-Year Old Returns to School:

The Troy Record--School suspends Eagle Scout for pocketkniife:

The Troy Record--Teen’s dad wants son’s record cleared:
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What do YOU think? Personally, I do not think that schools should be a prison, which is what they are becoming. I believe school should be a place that promotes creativity, not punishment. One cannot learn, if one is afraid all the time, which is supposedly the reason for the zero tolerance policy-that one should not have to fear for their safety, but the fact remains that children are being bullied and hurt anyway. Children and teens fear for their lives AND they fear that they will be in trouble for committing a crime for something innocent. Teenagers get in trouble for hugging in the halls, and yet when truly big, horrible crimes happen, we say, "But we did all we could! We have a zero-tolerance policy!!!" Perhaps the key to preventing crime is not by jumping down our children's throats, but by treating them as we would like to be treated-with compassion and respect.