Emergency Rooms are for Emergencies Only

SUSANNA AIGA
Opinions Editor

Remember those kids in elementary school who would throw tantrums if they didn’t get what they wanted? Teachers would employ a variety of disciplinary tactics, from giving a time-out to sending them to the principal’s office. However, despite the extensive training teachers have to go through, there have been incidents in which teachers and schools do not handle these issues appropriately.

According to Education News, there have been incidents involving certain special needs kids being locked in solitary classrooms, given crayons covered in hot sauce and sent to emergency rooms for tantrums.

According to Disability Scoop, the parents of six New York City students are suing the city and the local Department of Education, claiming that the schools called ambulances due to a lack of proper procedures or staff in place to deal with behavioral outbursts. The parents then received massive bills for ambulance transport and hospitalization, in addition to spending hours in the ER.

It is true that many schools are struggling to accommodate students due to factors such as funding cuts, overcrowding and school closures, but sending “difficult” students to the ER does not seem to be an adequate solution to the problem.

Teachers are required to participate in certain credential programs, which includes child development. The credential programs have separate steps and guidelines depending on the type of teaching they are interested in. Therefore, such well-trained teachers should already have the tools they need to deal with “problem kids,” and not have to resort to sending kids to the ER, regardless of being understaffed.

It is not the ER’s responsibility to deal with misbehavior; it is the student’s, teachers’ and school’s.