Since this is Massachusetts, it really shouldn’t be all that surprising.
Officials at an elementary school south of Boston have banned kids from playing tag, touch football and any other unsupervised chase game during recess for fear they'll get hurt and hold the school liable.
Is that not the most idiotic thing you’ve heard since John Kerry’s last speech?
Recess is "a time when accidents can happen," said Willett Elementary School Principal Gaylene Heppe, who approved the ban.
This is about the stupidest idea since zero tolerance policies were instituted! Why doesn’t this idiot principal just ban recess? How about we pad the entire school in foam, make the kids all wear helmets and football pads and hire a body guard for each one of the little tykes?
You can bet they’ll also howl that the kids are getting fat and blame it on a happy meal!
These idiot school teachers are robbing the childhood right out of these kids lives.
I have a lot of respect for most teachers, don’t get me wrong. It is an honorable profession and we don’t pay them enough most of the time. But when they make idiotic rules like this, you have to wonder about some of them and if we aren’t paying a few of them a bit too much.
So have a nice day kiddies. When you go to recess, just sit quietly so you don’t hurt yourself.
How did we ever make it past the 6th grade playing tag at recess?
VW
Maybe they should also ban gym class while they are at it. How many injuries occur there? What about running? Hopscotch? I just wish THINKING would hurt liberals. Then maybe they wouldn't come up with these idiotic ideas.
Posted by: Denny | Thursday, October 19, 2006 at 03:17
I second that! I posted about it yesterday as well!
Posted by: LMT | Thursday, October 19, 2006 at 07:47
Good Lord! Another reason I left teaching. Kids can no longer be kids. I remember when I was a kid, breaks, splinters, sprains, cuts, scrapes were all part of play and learning about life. I damaged something, ran crying home, got fixed up and zoomed back out the door good as new to continue with my friends. It may sound strange but when kids hurt themselves playing it is a valuable lesson in that they learn what their physical limitations are and what can happen if they are not careful. It teaches them resilience if they do get hurt so that they build a tolerance physically and emotionally, not everything will be a big drama that scares them in the future if they get hurt and also it will teach them to understand when they truly are hurt and need real help. I remember a gym class I taught where I let the kids just rip and ran them until their tongues were hanging out. They loved it! And so did I because it got all that energy out so the next class was calm.
To me, when a child is smothered by protection, it teaches them to be timid, hesitant, and totally unprepared for the world. The world has many bumps and bruises both physically and emotionally, play is a way for kids to learn that at a young age. Rules like this instituted at that school is an injustice to the children and a selfish act by the administration who is afraid of a lawsuit. With the desire to cover their asses, the bureaucracy is damaging the very children it is sworn to protect. Shame on them!
Posted by: canuckistani | Thursday, October 19, 2006 at 10:37
CRAZY! Kids will just get fatter and fatter. My kid plays rough at recess and gym - consistenly kicks ass at the daily soccer game (boys vs. girls). She's filthy most days and that's just the way I want it.
Posted by: Kelly | Thursday, October 19, 2006 at 13:05
I just found out an elementary school here in Tacom has a similar policy. It's insane.
VW
Posted by: Violence Worker | Thursday, October 19, 2006 at 13:28
And the monkey bars! Anyone remember the monkey bars? My friends and I spent hours and hours on them. Sadly they are a thing of the past.
They cut out gym, most climbing structures, any contact sports and wonder why our kids are fat and getting into trouble? Too much energy and boredom is a bad mix. They are creative little beings and will find a way to do something, constructive or not.
Posted by: yankeemom | Thursday, October 19, 2006 at 19:32
Ah, yes, the monkey bars. Brings back memories of blistered hands, "hooking", and fights. The good old days!
Posted by: canuckistani | Friday, October 20, 2006 at 09:45
My god, if my parents thought about suing everytime one of us got a scrape, bump, bruise or a knock on the head, we would have been in litigation for most of our natural lives and then beyond.
People need to get a bloody grip on reality. I concur fully with Canuckistani.
Posted by: Amal | Friday, October 20, 2006 at 19:20