The state of Ohio is set to enact a law that would allow teachers and other staff to carry guns in schools after they complete a "basic training program" totaling up to 24 hours.
Supporters hope that armed teachers will reduce the frequency and toll of gun attacks in schools, which have become a scourge in the United States.
In contrast, critics, including teachers' unions and the largest police union in Ohio, sound the alarm that schools will become more dangerous for children.
The bill was finalized 10 days after the deadly attack at a school in Uvalde, Texas, where a teenager armed with an AR-15 assault rifle[/B] killed 19 children and two teachers.
Ohio's Republican Governor Mike DeWine said he intends to sign the bill, which received the approval of the (Republican-controlled) state General Assembly this week. The bill was aimed at overturning the Ohio Supreme Court's verdict last year that ruled that teachers must complete a weapons training program of more than 700 hours before they have the right to carry weapons on school premises.
Supporters of the bill argue that school personnel will be able to confront an armed attacker before police arrive. "In emergencies in our schools, seconds count and tragedies can be avoided," said Republican Rep. Thomas Hall.
Armed teachers would be required to undergo a criminal background check and complete eight hours of additional training each year.
The Ohio Teachers Association and the Ohio Federation of Teachers stress in a joint statement that the bill is "rushed and dangerous." "It puts teachers in the incredible position of making split-second life-and-death decisions without adequate training," they say, adding that "it could undoubtedly lead to more tragedies in our schools."
Under the new law, school districts would have to notify parents if they decide to allow teachers to carry guns on school premises. It's unclear how many Ohio school districts would choose to allow teachers to be armed.
Source: APM
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