There are some awfully realistic looking squirt guns out there – do you want to put the schools in the business of deciding which are “realistic enough” to fool other children or staff? Realistic enough to be mistaken by security staff for the real thing? IMO, the most even-handed way to avoid such difficulties is to issue a blanket ban on any sort of object “gunlike” enough to pass muster as a “squirt gun”.
And then, there is also the issue of what's in the gun – children do some pretty stupid things for reasons often unclear to the adult around them; if their child gets a squirt of bleach or insecticide in he face are most parent going to accept the explanation that “boys will be boys” or “it's only a squirt-gun anyway”?
Finally, there's the question of why any child should be in the possession of any object that's sole purpose in a school is to distract and disrupt.
As for the response having been something as serious as a 10 day suspension, how else do you otherwise intend to get the child and their parents to take such questions seriously?
We are attempting to to raise children to understand that actions have consequences, and an important part of this process is the develop the ability to understand what will be required of them as adults - and in the current climate of concern with “workplace violence”, a squirt gun - realistic replica or not - is not part of the job description, And using one – even as a “joke” - will likely get you in deep trouble, if not summarily fired.
And then, there is also the issue of what's in the gun – children do some pretty stupid things for reasons often unclear to the adult around them; if their child gets a squirt of bleach or insecticide in he face are most parent going to accept the explanation that “boys will be boys” or “it's only a squirt-gun anyway”?
Finally, there's the question of why any child should be in the possession of any object that's sole purpose in a school is to distract and disrupt.
Excellent post!
Furthermore parents who try to get in the middle and contradict the school instead of supporting school discipline are doing their children a terrible disservice. When I was a kid, if I got in trouble at school, I was in BIG trouble at home. I had better behave, my mommy was not going to get me out of it.