Teachers have every reason to be nervous about tough new powers that will allow them to search students they suspect are carrying drugs or weapons.
The new guidelines are expected to be released by the Ministry of Education and will mean teachers can search pockets and bags and even conduct body searches.
This
paper also reported at the weekend that principals were concerned this could make them and their staff vulnerable to assault-related complaints.
On one hand, the new powers make sense. In September last year, the Bay of Plenty Times revealed the findings of an investigation that showed acid, knives and several other weapons had been brandished in more than 200 violent incidents in Western Bay secondary schools since 2005.
One of the most high-profile cases was of the 13-year-old boy who stabbed his Te Puke High School teacher in May. Other cases involved children possessing knives and using knives to make threats or assault others.
Drugs are also more prevalent these days than they were 20 years ago and it is crucial teachers have the tools to protect themselves and students.
But searching students has the potential to go horribly wrong.
Teachers are trained to teach - not act as police officers.
It would be every teacher's nightmare that in trying to diffuse a potentially dangerous situation they end up being accused of assault or even inappropriate touching.
They also put themselves at risk of being injured.
There is also the remote chance of a rogue teacher abusing their powers.
If these powers are introduced, teachers should use them only in extreme circumstances where they believe the safety of others is at stake. They should ensure they have at least one other teacher present or, better still, call the police.
The suspicion that a child might have some cannabis in their pocket is not a matter of immediate safety and it is better that police are called in to deal with this type of matter.
Common sense must prevail.
