was this punishment too harsh? pills and 9 year olds.

Question

ok, so this is happening in my home town right now. In our elementary school a child brought medication to school and gave the pills to 6 kids who ingested them. The one who brought the pills was expelled. The ones who ingested them got one week suspension.  People are going insane saying this punishment was too harsh because "they are just babies. They need to be in school not getting 0s for all the work they miss because they didn't know better" (said by one of the mothers of one of the kids.) These kids are 9 years old. The medication is used to treat ADHD and schizophrenic episodes. The school board stated they took this route because the other was to press charges.  The kids who ingested would of been charged with a misdemeanor. The one who brought the pills would of been charged with a felony.                                         Personally I believe the punishment is fitting.  They could be in juvie or dead. Parents don't teach kids the way they used to. People keep asking "where was the teacher?". Well probably teaching since its a school. Not a daycare. 1 teacher cant be a hawk over all 30 kids at one time. What do you think?  to read the article google "9 year olds take pills Wilcox county georgia".

Accepted Answer

This sounds like a reward than an actual fitting punishment to me. I'd be happy to be out of school for a week or two at 9 years old. Make them have shit tons of mandatory school work. This shouldn't be a just stay at home and think about it type of thing because they are KIDS, and they shouldn't be sentenced like an adult either.

Answer

I don’t see how the children are learning anything from either option.

Answer

What I want to know is where the hell were that kids parents and why was prescription medication left in a place of easy access? Honestly, there is not enough education on the dangers of medication in schools or by parents. Everyone assumes their babies will stay babies but with the internet and no tabs on what they are exposed to those parents have no idea what their child is up to. The parents should be punished as well.

Answer

Sounds like they all got off easy considering the many ways this could have been worse. 
I hope this is a huge wake up call for all the parents of the children involved. 
At 9 years old they all should know better.
The parents of the child who distributed the meds should have to take parenting classes for allowing the child access to the medication.

Answer

I teach this age group and this actually just happened.  Where I work it’s nearly impossible to expel or suspend.  
A 9 yr old is NOT a baby.  They are old enough to know not to take other peoples medication.  No questions.  They are not babies.

Answer

I don't think we should be treating children like adults (and while at the same time, they are certainly not babies). Especially with the children who took the pills. Did they willingly take them or were they coerced into it? 
I am more concerned about how this child got that medication. Did their parents not keep it out of reach from children? Did they fail to teach a kid to not do something like this?

Answer

Parents need to stop infantilizing their children or expecting the school district to raise them. Children should be sent to school ready to learn. A 9 yo is not a baby. A baby is birth-2. Toddler is 2-5. A child is 5-8. A tween is 8-12. And so on. If your 9 yo thinks it’s acceptable to take, bring to school, pass out to other children or ingest prescription drugs you have failed as a parent. These parents need to stop blaming the district, and take responsibility for their failure to teach and parent their child. Treating a child like they’re too stupid to know any better or understand insults their intelligence. The kid that did it deserves to be expelled. And the kids that took it should be suspended.

Answer

Its the parents' fault ( where the pills came from)

Answer

The children cannot be denied the opportunity to make up work while they are suspended. In California, it is against ed code.

Answer

Why is the parent not being charged for allowing access to the pills in the first place?

was this punishment too harsh? pills and 9 year olds.

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