The days of hearsay “he said, she said” reports on school bus incidents might be over, at least in Pennsylvania.
Recently, Governor Tom Corbett has signed legislation(法律)allowing the use of sound recording equipment on school buses, and many districts are taking advantage of the law. The recordings can be used for “disciplinary(纪律的)and safety purposes,” the law states.
A growing number of incidents on buses created a pressing need for monitoring(监控), said Dan Castagna, West Mifflin Area superintendent(who is in charge of all the schools in the area). “Lots of students are forced into a small space, so it seems like no matter what we do,we see busing issues arise,” Mr. Castagna said. “Often you get a lot of ‘he said, she said’ and have a hard time getting the whole story. Now we can see what you’re doing and hear what you’re saying.”
“There are no teachers or principals(校长)on the bus, just the driver,” said Woodland Hills School District superintendent Alan Johnson. “Sometimes they are working with 30 or more students, so that can become very problematic. It’s hard to know how incidents started and who was saying what without the sound recording.
State Senator Richard Alloway agreed. “We viewed it as a protection bill for the school bus drivers who are driving a machine weighing thousands of pounds, trying to focus on the road while carrying dozens of kids with their backs to them,” said Senator Alloway.
Some civil rights advocates, though, argue giving up privacy is too great a cost. Andy Hoover, legislative director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, said the legislation has violated students right to privacy.
“Our kids are going to be watched at all times,” Mr. Hoover said. “They discuss their home situation, their academic situation, and school officials could be picking up on those conversations if the technology is strong enough. I would hope that people are thoughtful enough to address challenging situations without having to put a microphone on every student.”
12. The purpose of sound recording equipment on school buses is ______.
A.to avoid busing issues | B.to discipline school bus drivers |
C.to monitor the performance of buses | D.to understand students’ educational needs |
13. According to Richard Alloway, school bus drivers’ work is ______.
A.a bit boring | B.really tough | C.very rewarding | D.rather simple |
14. Mr. Hoover’s attitude toward the legislation was that _____.
A.he paid little attention to it | B.he was curious about it |
C.he disapproved of it | D.he doubted it |
15. The author wrote the text mainly to ______.
A.introduce new recording technologies | B.report some school bus incidents |
C.describe the life of bus drivers | D.discuss a newly signed law |