From the school staff perspective, the identification badges would be a useful instrument to recognize who is a student and who is a teacher. Additionally, somewhat related to the identification purpose, as well as to the security perspective that one parent has mentioned, the staff can easily recognize who is actually meant to be on school grounds and who isn't. If we consider the global terrorist threat, this is a highly important argument.
On the other hand, as the parent has mentioned, security and safety measures on school premises need to have a limit somewhere, otherwise we risk having a reminder of concentration camps, where number identification tags were used. As the parent has asked, where can we draw the line?
From the parents' perspective, wearing a badge may be an additional form of security and safety on school grounds, but it also may be considered a measure that will give way in the future to new ones. At this point, students are requested to wear an identification badge, but what happens if, for example, additional measures in the future will restrict their access to parts of the school during strict period of times? Sure, one needs to respond to threats, but what if security measures are means to restrict the students' liberties as well?
From the community perspective, a safe school may mean a safer neighborhood. As an example, the fact that the police will be called upon as soon as anybody...
Such a survey will have a double impact. First of all, it will require students to actually build an argumentation for their case. Second of all, it would be an excellent way to find alternative suggestions to the use of badges.
Another strategy would include interviews with preeminent students, like the captain of the debate team, the straight a student, etc. In the intellectual medium, these may be considered the exponents of those protesting and ideas on the subject may come from them.
Third of all, a survey at community level is important, in my opinion. Such a survey would have the great advantage of including both partisans of the issue, perhaps teachers or
parents from the school, but also people from the community who may have an objective point-of-view, given the fact that they are not actually involved in the issue.
Bibliography
1. Parents, students
protest school ID badges. November 2004. On the Internet at http://edition.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/11/02/school.badges.ap/index.html
Parents, students protest school ID badges. November 2004. On the Internet at http://edition.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/11/02/school.badges.ap/index.html
