Do schools have the right to search students’ lockers?
Fundmentally, this debate is about, and the extent to which the state can invade the private life of its citizens.
RIGHT TO PRIVACY: TWO DOCUMENTS
Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
"No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks."
4th Amendment to the US Constitution:
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
YES
Side Score: 9
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NO
Side Score: 13
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2
points
Who owns the locker - the student or the school? The school owns the locker, they allow the student to place his personal items inside the locker. Thus, the school should be allowed to do with the locker as they will - just so long as they do not damage or lose any personal possessions. Side: yes
1
point
The school doesn't just go through someone's locker and take their stuff out. They look through to see if they have drugs, weapons, or any other harmful substance or devices. The school has the right to protect it's other students, especially because the lockers technically belong to the schools. Side: yes
1
point
Lockers are school property; students are merely allowed to use them as they do with sports equipment, library books, school and computers. Lockers can be taken back without notice, for example if they are vandalized. Students are or should be told that schools have the right to search their lockers; it is a part of being in a school community where you have to accept its rules and responsibilities. Side: yes
When a student is using a locker it is essentially rented out to them. I am not sure about every school I know that my school requires students to sign a contract when they receive the locker. Keeping schools drug and weapon free is important to ensuring a quality education, and it's not unreasonable to search lockers for drugs and weapons. Side: yes
1
point
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point
Lockers used by students are the schools property, and therefore should be used for school purposes only. I believe that schools do have the right to search students’ locker but to some extent. Students shouldn’t keep anything in their lockers they wouldn’t want anyone else to see. I agree with locks being placed on the lockers for protection of students’ belongings from other students and any other possible thieves, but I also agree that the school has the right to search a student’s locker without questioning. If a students’ locker has been searched and the principal finds things that shouldn’t be brought to school, then that student should be forced to remove his or her lock due to the lack of trust in the student. The principal should also do random inspections of that students’ locker, just to keep a checkup on the student. If the student gains back the trust of the principal and staff then the student may be allowed to use a lock again. If the student does not gain back the trust of the principal and staff then the student should not be allowed to put a lock back on his or her locker, and if they continue to find things that should not be at school, the locker should be taken from the student. But if a student shows no lack of trust then the students’ locker should remain unsearched, until given a reason to be searched. Lockers are assigned to a student to use to hold their personal belongings. Locks do not give you the right to privacy. Therefore the school does maintain the right to search the students’ locker. Side: yes
1
point
-1
points
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Privacy Respect Some things better leave uncovered Because the purpose of searching lockers is to search for illegal materials and check for stolen items but forcing the evidence to appear by random searching not only degrades the reputation of the school to the students but will also prompt students to imagine new ways of breaking rules it will not make a kid fess up to a crime a better way would be to present some simple moral values to the students and inform their parents about the matter if it does not work It is the students’. Like if you rent a house, the landowner can’t just check it, right? The lockers are for the students, not the school Only if the students are ok with it, if the students don’t know, the school has no right If they get to search our lockers, then we get to search their desks and rooms Side: No
1
point
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point
its because when u have a mean teacher that no one likes and she/he doesnt like anyone eather than if u have something not bad just embarassing like love letters,porn, stuff like that they can embarass u and lockers are supposed to keep things from beeing seen, if they were just for storage than they should put on clear fronts or not have doors at all! Side: NO
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