Primary School ban Valentine cards!

[Rum]

Personally I find Valentine's day all a but meh..crap even, but ..

From the BBC at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/8510091.stm


Ban on Valentine's Day cards at school

A primary school in Weston-super-Mare has been criticised for banning Valentine cards to save pupils the "emotional trauma" of being rejected.

Children at Ashcombe Primary School were stopped from exchanging cards because the head teacher said they were not emotionally mature enough to cope. Peter Turner told parents of the 430 pupils that cards would be confiscated.

One pupil's mother said: "I think it's outrageous. They're just children. Why spoil their fun?" The woman, whose son attends the school, said: "It's comical really. I couldn't believe it when I saw the newsletter.

"My son is six and he's had a little girlfriend since nursery. They say they're going to get married, but we don't read anything into it."

Mr Turner said in the newsletter that children get upset when they are "dumped" which interrupts their learning. He said children should wait until they are mature enough emotionally and socially to understand the commitment in having a boyfriend or girlfriend.

A woman who has a seven-year-old at the school said: "I think it's absolutely ridiculous.

"It's a tradition, I can remember when I used to receive cards from boys in school. It's a lovely thing to do.

"Most of the parents were laughing about it, but the children are wondering what's going on because they've sent cards before."

Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe also criticised the move. She said: "It's only a bit of fun once a year and it doesn't mean anything to kids that age.

"I just think it is rather silly. Haven't they anything better to worry about at that school?"

A spokesman for North Somerset Council said the head teacher was happy to discuss the issue with any parents who have concerns.

He said: "Ashcombe is a primary school and they believe that children under the age of 11 are still emotionally and socially developing and therefore cards declaring love can be confusing.

"Any families wishing to send cards are asked to send them in the post or deliver to home addresses by hand."

[Thinking Aloud]

I'm only replying to this because the thread title is WIN!!!

[Rum]

I'm only replying to this because the thread title is WIN!!!

More haste etc....edited

[klr]

Also discussed here:

Subject: The Fuck Valentine's Day Thread / Poll

Take that:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/8510091.stm

[Thinking Aloud]

Now I'm replying because in stark contrast, Offspring #1 spent the day today at primary school making Valentine's cards! There's hope. But not in Weston-super-Mare.

[Rum]

Now I'm replying because in stark contrast, Offspring #1 spent the day today at primary school making Valentine's cards! There's hope. But not in Weston-super-Mare.

We had a Primary school in Cumbria which banned conkers unless kids brought and wore protective goggles.

If any non Brits want to know what conkers is-----> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conkers

[Kristie]

Me and Marina just finished making Valentines for her class. They're so cute!

[floppit]

RANT ALERT!!

We had a Primary school in Cumbria which banned conkers unless kids brought and wore protective goggles.

That's because the fuckwits are going by cat's whispers H&S rather than actually reading the boring stuff!

http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/september.htm

The HSE even had it's own conker championships to poke fun at fuckwits - I somehow doubt it'd even dent the Zeitgeist that doing H&S research for policies should entail the careful reading of tabloid shite!

People who write policy but can't be arsed to actually read legislation (all online these days - NO excuse) are one of my biggest bug bears, quite aside from anything else they are often the ones shouting loudest that the law (they never read) is an ass! When the National Care Standards came out around a decade ago they actually had to write IN that kids should be allowed to take reasonable risks! Did that change much? Hell no, no-one reads the bloody stuff, just attend a training day and trust some trainer to have read it (who probably didn't either).

7.9 Children are supported to take controlled risks (appropriate to their age and
understanding) that are relevant and necessary to negotiating their place in the
community.

P. 11
http://www.dh.gov.uk/dr_consum_dh/group ... 021209.pdf
Significant risks are also allowable subject to RA.

The madness isn't the law, the madness is that every twat face who fancies it interprets the law without giving the effort to read it.

Rant over!

[Rum]

RANT ALERT!!

We had a Primary school in Cumbria which banned conkers unless kids brought and wore protective goggles.

That's because the fuckwits are going by cat's whispers H&S rather than actually reading the boring stuff!

http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/september.htm

The HSE even had it's own conker championships to poke fun at fuckwits - I somehow doubt it'd even dent the Zeitgeist that doing H&S research for policies should entail the careful reading of tabloid shite!

People who write policy but can't be arsed to actually read legislation (all online these days - NO excuse) are one of my biggest bug bears, quite aside from anything else they are often the ones shouting loudest that the law (they never read) is an ass! When the National Care Standards came out around a decade ago they actually had to write IN that kids should be allowed to take reasonable risks! Did that change much? Hell no, no-one reads the bloody stuff, just attend a training day and trust some trainer to have read it (who probably didn't either).

7.9 Children are supported to take controlled risks (appropriate to their age and
understanding) that are relevant and necessary to negotiating their place in the
community.

P. 11
http://www.dh.gov.uk/dr_consum_dh/group ... 021209.pdf
Significant risks are also allowable subject to RA.

The madness isn't the law, the madness is that every twat face who fancies it interprets the law without giving the effort to read it.

Rant over!

The oft quoted 'consequences' of 'getting it wrong' is that parents will sue the staff members concerned. In reality in the twenty plus years I have worked in education related stuff I know of not one single case of this happening, not even by hearsay - and I think I would know if it had. Its a myth and also an EXCUSE!

[floppit]

The oft quoted 'consequences' of 'getting it wrong' is that parents will sue the staff members concerned. In reality in the twenty plus years I have worked in education related stuff I know of not one single case of this happening, not even by hearsay - and I think I would know if it had. Its a myth and also an EXCUSE!

I'd blame the tabloids but in fairness they make no bones about being there to make money and giving the reader that good ol' 'incensed' feeling, the incredulity at how those who earn more money than they do, who did better at school, who have bigger houses could be SO stupid - WOW, that's worth the pennies spent on a rag!

What gets my goat is those who earn more money, did better at school and have bigger houses can't be arsed to read the law before drawing up policy which is sometimes in absolute contravention to it, such as the above example re supporting kids to take reasonable risks (repeated everywhere in the NCS, just knew where it was in care homes).

It makes me so angry, I remember the first legislation I read, I remember it spanning out in front of me seemingly the size of the bible and just beginning, just starting to read the words. I also remember realising how repetitive it is and grasping how it flexes around case law using words like reasonable and fair. Now I can read a new act in less than an hour (usually!), guidance about the same. So now I know 2 things, 1 that it is possible to read the law itself and 2, apart from one excellent trainer I know I'm the only bloody one I know who bothers! Oh, there's another thing, it doesn't make for popularity!

here's another one from the HSE myths:

Classroom demos can be spectacular - just ask HSE Chair Judith Hackitt. Earlier this year she 'set her hands alight' - safely - to show science and sensible risk management in action!

http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/nov09.htm

FFS she set her hands on fire! Still... who knew? Exactly how hard would it be to write to or ring the HSE before making wappy and disruptive policy over classroom experiments?

Laziness.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

I remember a chemistry lesson back at school where we were allowed to pour a little meths into a cupped hand and set it alight - having been warned not to open ones fingers or panic and wave ones hand about. That was a cool lesson! Somehow, I can't imagine that it is often done these days.