In January, Donald Trump said that on his very first day in office, he would abolish gun-free zones in schools.

Back in January, many were still extremely skeptical that Trump would be able to cinch the Republican nominee. Now, as the last candidate standing, it’s all but certain and therefore makes the question that much more important:

Will Donald Trump stay true to his word and abolish gun-free zones in schools if elected?

"Trump has repeatedly said that gun-free zones are a magnet for mentally ill shooters and that the...mass shootings in Paris and California could have been prevented if more citizens were armed to protect themselves and others. For months, Trump has specifically called for the elimination of gun-free zones at military installments, but his call to do the same at schools appears to be a new stance,” said The Washington Post in January. 

Those who support the abolishment of gun-free zones say that such zones only attract violence, not the other way around.

Opposition, however, says promoting gun-free zones in schools severely compromises the safety of students.

Statistics seem to support the latter.

“...statistics show that gun-free school zones are safer for youth than areas that permit them. The Bureau of Justice Statistics found that gun-free zones like primary and secondary schools are typically safer for young people, as gun deaths in gun-free zones never exceeded 2 percent of total youth homicides,” said The Media Matters for America.

But consistent incidences of school violence have school districts throughout the country taking steps to arm teachers.

In October, Trump said he supported arming teachers so long as they knew how to use a gun, which he said “hopefully” they do. He did not discuss efforts to provide training to armed teachers.

“I think that if you had the teacher, assuming they knew how use a weapon, which hopefully they would, you would have been a lot better when this maniac walked into class starting to shoot people,” he said, according to CNS News.

Trump’s stance on education policy is typically referred to as a “wild card,” so it’s anyone’s guess whether or not he will actually follow through with his outlined intentions.

Teachers: Education World would like to know where you stand. Would you feel safer if your school was a gun-free zone? Take our poll to share your opinion.

Related Readings:

• Opinion Donald Trump's Stance on Education Is a Wild Card
• Where the Current 2016 Presidential Candidates Stand on Education

Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

5/16/2016