Last Monday three students from Masterman High School required medical attention after an attack by an 18-year-old Benjamin Franklin High School student and two 13-year-olds from Waring School. The 18-year-old student was allegedly involved in an attack a month earlier on a charter-school student. The irony of the incident involving the Masterman students is that the Masterman students were filming an anti-violence video when the attack happened.
The severity of the students’ injuries should not be overlooked. But we know that everyday in all parts of the region and the country, hundreds of kids have to deal with bullying. Shouldn’t emphasis be placed on programs to stop bullying and provide after school activities for Philadelphia School District Students? In talking to a Masterman Alumni, I was surprised to find that neighboring bullies have attacked Masterman students for decades.
As a former student of the Philadelphia School System, I can recall numerous instances where quieter and smaller students were chased from their schools to public transportation. With no school officials in sight or police officers nearby these bullies felt free to harass local students. Thankfully, these persecuted students did not decide to go home and purchase a weapon for the purpose of hurting their classmates. We have seen this happen with the Virginia Tech and the Columbine High School massacres.
The reason why the Masterman incident has garnered so much media attention is that the victims in this case are considered to be among Philadelphia’s educational elite. Masterman, ranked one of the best schools in the tri-county area, made the top hundred listing of best schools by U.S. News and World Report. Thus, hundreds of Philadelphia citizens have expressed their concern and shock. We share their concern, but there are other students in schools throughout the area who are fearful of leaving the schoolyard everyday. The public outcry in this instance should focus on children throughout the area and should urge the community to volunteer or develop programs that ensure student safety.
After this week’s newspaper article hits the recycling bin, the Masterman students’ wounds have healed and the perpetrators in this case given their punishments, will anyone think twice about students who have to run home everyday, or would they have to be a member of the educational elite in order to get public attention?
The severity of the students’ injuries should not be overlooked. But we know that everyday in all parts of the region and the country, hundreds of kids have to deal with bullying. Shouldn’t emphasis be placed on programs to stop bullying and provide after school activities for Philadelphia School District Students? In talking to a Masterman Alumni, I was surprised to find that neighboring bullies have attacked Masterman students for decades.
As a former student of the Philadelphia School System, I can recall numerous instances where quieter and smaller students were chased from their schools to public transportation. With no school officials in sight or police officers nearby these bullies felt free to harass local students. Thankfully, these persecuted students did not decide to go home and purchase a weapon for the purpose of hurting their classmates. We have seen this happen with the Virginia Tech and the Columbine High School massacres.
The reason why the Masterman incident has garnered so much media attention is that the victims in this case are considered to be among Philadelphia’s educational elite. Masterman, ranked one of the best schools in the tri-county area, made the top hundred listing of best schools by U.S. News and World Report. Thus, hundreds of Philadelphia citizens have expressed their concern and shock. We share their concern, but there are other students in schools throughout the area who are fearful of leaving the schoolyard everyday. The public outcry in this instance should focus on children throughout the area and should urge the community to volunteer or develop programs that ensure student safety.
After this week’s newspaper article hits the recycling bin, the Masterman students’ wounds have healed and the perpetrators in this case given their punishments, will anyone think twice about students who have to run home everyday, or would they have to be a member of the educational elite in order to get public attention?
3 comments:
There was so much media coverage because passersby contacted the media-if the kids being chased home want to have their faces plastered all over the news, then by all means, alert the media!
I am a former Masterman student who was attacked by people of a similar age near Benjamin Franklin High a few years ago (on my way home from school). In my opinion, these incidents are a signal not necessarily that our schools fail the students, but that the students fail themselves. Students cannot be motivated to want to take steps to secure a brighter future. If kids don't wish to learn by the time they have reached high school, then they should simply be provided a choice to not attend school. This will allow all schools to focus their precious resources on students who at least have a remote interest in their studies, extra-curriculars, etc. Schools with committed students tend to suffer from less bullying. Why should we continue to allow violent and/or uncommitted persons to ruin eductaional opportunities and facilities for everyone else?
I'm a student at masterman presently, and this was one of my friends who got hurt. It's crazy that they target us because of where we go to school. We don't ever bother anybody, and I know not all the kids at Ben F. are bad, but they're getting a rep at our school because they're constantly attacking us...
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