So much for a return to life as normal. It seems the terrorists that struck New York and Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11 succeeded in defeating administrators at the East Lansing School District.
Luckily for the future of America, the students at East Lansing High School still have some fight left in them.
More than 250 East Lansing High School students walked out of their morning classes Wednesday in protest against the district’s ban on out-of-state field trips. School officials say the trips were canceled because of safety concerns in light of the terrorist attacks.
The students protested by sitting in the commons area of the high school, where they handed out black-and-yellow pins that read “Reverse the ban, don’t support terrorism.”
We applaud the students for standing up for their education. The teenagers showed their maturity in the way they carried out their protesting.
It seems the students acted more like adults than the administrators who decided it would be better to hide instead of living life in an uncertain world.
At a time like this, we need not hide ourselves away. We need to venture out with our fellow citizens to return to life as usual.
East Lansing school officials can’t protect their students by sheltering them inside a building. If there is one thing our society has learned during the past few years it is some of the most horrific violence can happen inside school walls.
If district officials are so worried about their students’ safety that they can’t allow them to experience life, then they might as well close the school’s doors forever. They’ve lost their ability to educate.
Field trips are a chance for students to grow and get a glimpse of a different way of life.
It would be wiser for school leaders to consider field trips on a case-by-case basis if they are that uncertain about safety.
It’s understandable administrators held off on allowing students to participate in trips to Washington, D.C., or New York until anthrax concerns and other worries subside. To make a blanket policy and cancel all trips across state lines is wrong.
We urge the East Lansing Board of Education to take action and lift the field-trip ban at its next meeting. Give your students the opportunity to experience the education they deserve.
