"Almost every child in America sees the sign that says 'This is a Drug-Free
School Zone' as they approach the school on the bus and most also pass a
smaller sign that says the same thing on the door of the school - the only
sign on the door of the school - as they enter the building. Please try
to
put yourself into the mind of a middle school child who is trying to leave
the world of childhood and align his or herself with the world of
adulthood:
In their minds the world of school is the world of children and the world
away from school is the world of greater freedom and adulthood. The
message
is both subtle and overt. 'This is a Drug-Free School Zone' is saying
that
in the world of children (school) drugs are a bad thing, but in the adult
world drugs are not such a bad thing. This is what many kids think.
Believe me. Take those signs down. They are only serving to get political
attention for doing something about drugs for the politicians involved,
and
school administrators are politicians, but they are actually harming the
children. You can still prosecute drug dealers more harshly for selling
around schools without the signs (as if a sign is going to stop a dealer
from selling anyway"
Read the entire essay at:
http://www.stevenharris.com/schoolshow/druggededucation.html
