In a bid to protect kids from being "touched aggressively", a Principal at an elementary school in south Minneapolis has banned all forms of "touching".
Principal Joan Franks of Armatage Elementary School sent out an email outlining the new "no touching" policy which forbids such activities as touch football and the game, Tag. Originally Franks forbid hand holding and hugging but has changed her rules to no more pushing, shoving, play-fighting and the game Tag.
Ironically the Minneapolis Public Schools has no such rule, it was Franks who took it upon herself to outlaw various forms of what she believes is "aggressive touching" behavior rather than to take each "touching" incident in a case-by-case manner and make outlaws out of kids who cross the "no-touching" statutes.
We wondered, what's the form of punishment for kids convicted under the "no-touch" policy?
Which kids will feel safer? The ones who won't be touched or the ones who will be punished for behavior that many rambunctious kids happen to ascribe to?
What will happen to these "coddled" classmates with supervisors willing to swoop in and "protect" them from playful shoves and an occasional push when they grow older?
With record numbers of kids overweight due to inactivity, this school has outlawed forms of play such as tag and touch football.
Aggressive touching is already considered a no-no and a punishable offense yet this Principal has made the decision that all the students must lose their right to all forms of touching. In order to solve a problem they're using a sledgehammer to swat a gnat.
By LBG
Source - Star Tribune - Don't Touch! Will Rule Make Kids Safer?