Stop Treating Students Like Criminals

In the article, “Stop Treating Students Like Criminals” by Ron Crickenbarger, the author states students of American public high schools should not get random drug testing. Crickenberger believes schools should not have power to obligate random drug testing under assumed reasonable cause because it is humiliating, unconstitutional, and insulting. I agree with the author because students have rights and it is a minimal number of students who uses drugs. Students should not be blamed for the small percentage.  Although mandatory drug testing is for the benefit and safety for students, treating students like criminals would only create division among students and staff.

Students should feel safe coming to school every day. Implementing drug testing on students would be beneficial for a safe learning environment. Drug testing would help identify students who use illegal drugs and help them rehabilitate with discipline. As a result, drug testing would create a safer school environment. For example, when I was in high school there was a student who used marijuana every day.  He was never on time to class, he smelled like marijuana, and he was never focused in class causing a distraction for other students. Until one day, he was called by the principal and a drug test was performed on him. His drug test was positive and he eventually was removed for our class. I believe, random drug testing should be allow when there is obvious reason for it, but not just for reasonable cause.

However, students have the right to come to school without feeling like criminals. Drug testing will only bring humiliation, intimidation and threat to a student education. Students learn and interact better with teachers and staff when they know they are being treated like a person. According to Lindsay, a student who was forced to urinated on a cup while a teacher listened outside the restroom door. She described the experience as “humiliating”. I believe school has no right to oblige students on drug testing, because it would only divide students from teachers and would interfere with their education.  Additionally, no drug test should be done unless an investigation has been performed and the student is found guilty.  For example, when I was in high school I never used any illegal drug, and I was asked to give a urine test in order to be in the Tennis team. As I am doing the drug test in a clinic, I felt intimidated, because I could felt and see people in the clinic looking at me as if I was guilty or a drug user. I believe students have rights and drug testing is unconstitutional.  Drug testing would only bring negative effects on student’s education.

I believe schools should not have power to obligate random drug testing under assumed reasonable cause on students. Drug testing would only create intimidation, humiliation and conflict among students and teachers. Additionally, treating students like criminals would only create a hostile environment and interfere with student’s education. I suggest drug testing should be done only when there is a detail investigation on a student. If students are treated with respect schools will be a better place for everybody.