I am not against the random pocket searches, if they are warranted (i.e., the students are not compliant, and show they are untrustworthy). If the principal has cause, he is the final authority in the school. If it were rumored that there were drugs being used in school, would you be against random searches of the boys’ pockets and lockers, or bookbags, just because it was only a “few” guilty parties? I am not in favor of arbitrary searches, just for their own sake, when there is no reason to suspect there is a problem . But if it is already being done, then clearly there was a reason for it. Rules are in place for a reason. There are lots of rules we have to follow on the real adult world, and the sooner these kids learn that life lesson, the better off they will be. There will be lots of stuff that they perceive to be unfair, coming their way. The fact is, if they have nothing to hide, they will not have a problem. I do think the principal should handle it tactfully however, and not in an autocratic manner.
BTW, bomb, I am NOT against cellphones, I am against their use during school hours. And since I am against their use during school hours, I see no purpose in students having them on their persons at that time. They can only be used for nefarious purposes during class or during a test, so I see absolutely no reason why they SHOULD be permitted. Somehow, the baby boomers among us managed to get through four years of High School without a cell phone, and we were none the worse for wear. Kids today believe they will DIE without their text messaging, and you know what — this generation has produced a group of kids who are rudely on their cells WAY too much, even when they are ostensibly on a date, or even just having a conversation with someone who is standing in front of them.