Tuesday, March 31, 2009

NO TOUCHING!!!


I love the now-deceased television show "Arrested Development." There are often scenes set in prison where the family members are visiting the father in prison and there are guards standing close by while the prisoners and visitors talk at tables. If anyone tries to touch anyone a guard will explode with, "NO TOUCHING!!!"

My point of bringing that up is that apparently there is now a Connecticut middle school that has the exact same policy: absolutely no touching. So whereas the hall monitors in my junior high might have halted kissing, teasing, or (obviously) fighting... the hall monitors at that middle school may shout, "No high-fives!" Or... "NO HUGGING!" As if junior high didn't feel enough like a prison!

Here's a segment from an article on the policy established by the principal:

"Students and parents are outraged. ...
"Potential consequences and disciplinary action [for touching] may include parent conferences, detention, suspension and/or a request for expulsion from school," Williams wrote.
Many think the school's no tolerance policy goes way too far. Others said it's utterly ridiculous.
"Now it's almost as if it's a sanitized school. Where you have to keep your distance from everybody? And that's not what school is about," one father said.
"What if they are out on the playground at recess, or in gym class?" parent Kathy Casey wondered. "You know, gym class is physical."
Source: http://wcbstv.com/local/school.bans.hugs.2.969949.html


I find this policy QUITE ridiculous. Apparently the principal established the no-contact rule after a student was hospitalized from a violent kick to the groin. So... why not react like any other school and punish those responsible... hold to a strict no VIOLENCE policy... and allow the other students the ability to give their high-fives and hugs freely. That might be too normal.

It's a weird world. K, bye!

1 comment:

  1. Why don't they just drive them right into each others' arms! Do they not understand the way junior high kids think?

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