Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, October 26, 1995                   TAG: 9510260035
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-14   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PERCEPTIONS

It might appear so from statistics cited by Bill Mims, a Republican state lawmaker, in an article published Wednesday on our Commentary page. Wrote Mims:

``During the 1993-94 school year, 373 students were apprehended with firearms in Virginia's schools - more than half of those caught were in seventh, eighth or ninth grades. During that same year, there were 555 physical assaults in our schools resulting in serious injuries and more than 1,600 reported drug violations.''

Alarming statistics, indeed. But bear in mind that was 373 students and 555 assaults in Virginia's total '93-94 public-school population of 1,045,471. Many of those incidents occurred in a small number of cities. And as Mims also observed, problems with in-school violence ``pale in comparison with the out-of-school incidents in our neighborhoods.''

Gordon, who made her comments Tuesday in a panel discussion with superintendents, clearly recognizes that violence in schools is a serious problem. (``I deal with it on a daily basis,'' she said.) But she and the other superintendents are right:

Public perceptions that danger for children runs rampant - totally unchecked, out of control in every classroom and in every hallway - are greatly exaggerated. Especially when it comes to schools in these parts.

Of course, any amount of violence in the schools is too much, and not to be tolerated. Public-school officials have done much to keep schools as violence-free as possible - zero tolerance of guns is proving a good policy, for example - and they need to do more.

But we musn't forget that schools remain a reflection and microcosm of their surrounding communities and society as a whole. When guns, drugs and violence permeate the world outside the schoolhouse door, they will occasionally find their way inside.

Public and parental concern about violence in schools is justified. But concern should not become paranoia. The response, instead, should be increased public and parental support for school officials' efforts to make these facilities safe places in which children can learn and grow.

The need is for more bridges, not moats. Schools can help efforts to rid surrounding neighborhoods, as well as their own campuses, of crime and violence. They can teach nonviolence and the responsibilities of community membership.

They also can make their facilities systematically and comprehensively available after school hours to provide supervised activities for latch-key kids. This action, badly needed, will require community support and investment.