Disclaimer: My point is that banning pencil sharpeners is silly. I am not actually suggesting amputation.

But then again, I went to school with strict nuns, so my opinions might be a little skewed:)

The original piece called it an meticulously planned attack, but that might not be the case. I wouldn’t be surprised if the kid noticed the screw in the pencil sharpener, took off the razor and said to a friend, “Hey, check it out,” and waved the blade around, accidentally cutting someone. I’m not saying that’s how it happened, but the evidence of a minor, two-day suspension indicates that it wasn’t a case of a “meticulously planned” assault and battery. (Also, the fact that the kid wasn’t taken away and put in an institution indicates the same thing. I mean, intentionally slashing someone with a razor is a serious infraction in most communities, even if committed by a third-grader.)

This incident could lead a school principal to conclude that the temptation to remove the blades from a Kum-type sharpener might be too great for some kids and the safest course would be to ban them.

I disagree with that rationale, by the way. The best thing to do is to issue a warning and threaten dire punishment for students removing the blades.

Banning pencil sharpeners as a response is little different than banning a book because it has questionable content.

Sorry, Oxhead but the goofing around rationale doesn’t cut it in my book. Violence of one student towards another simply should not be tollerated, period. Even horseplay in the form of tripping, pushing and teasing should be dealt with appropriately as they are first steps to more serious disrespectful and even dangerous behaviour. If a fashioned weapon is involved it’s well behond horseplay or goofing around in my book.

The fault here at the Primary school level lies:

1st w/ the parents who fail to teach their children proper values and respect for others and how their actions can be harmful to others if they don’t control themselves

2nd w/ the schools for failing to deal with even more minor levels of student violence strongly enough and for failing to model, teach and demand appropriate behaviour

3rd w/ the student who by the 5th or 6th grade ought to be moved up to first place on this list.

When my own son was in the 7th grade he was asaulted by another student without any provocation. Fortunately, other than the use of a fist there was no weapon involved. The school refused to take any action at all beyond calling the student to the principles office for a talk and speak to his parents. When we had the police investigate, the parents of the child were beligerent and essentially said “Go ahead file charges.” We should have proceeded on principle, but without the support of the school there was little point. We simply worked with our son to learn a lesson how to improve his awareness of potential actions of others that could be harmful to him and to steer clear when he anticipated any trouble.

I have new security knowing I can fend off an attacker with my pencil sharpener–just give me time to get it detached! (Or should I just use the screwdriver?)