Elementary School Bans The Game "Tag"
By all_n_one
@all_n_one (2003)
United States
October 20, 2006 2:38pm CST
An elementary school south of Boston has banned tag, touch football, and other chase games in fear that these games lead to injury and cause the school to be liable.
Recess is “a time when accidents can happen," Willett Elementary School Principal Gaylene Heppe told the Associated Press. Heppe approved the ban, but said there was no district-wide ban. The schools around Attleboro, which includes Willett, banned dodge ball years ago saying it was exclusionary and harmful.
"I think that it's unfortunate that kids' lives are micromanaged and there are social skills they'll never develop on their own," Debbie Laferriere, who has two children at Willett, about 40 miles south of Boston told the AP. "Playing tag is just part of being a kid."
However, another parent said her child liked the decision. "I've witnessed enough near collisions," she told the wire service.
I think this is crazy what do you think?
3 responses
@sbeauty (5865)
• United States
4 Nov 06
Every time a child is injured on the playground the school gets an influx of calls complaining about allowing their children to play it. Schools ban games because they don't want the hassle of dealing with these people. Most administrators and teachers expect playground injuries, because no matter how closely you watch children, something happens once in awhile. They just ban games to appease the hotheads.
@dramaqueen8100 (5)
• United States
2 Nov 06
I'd say this is a clear indicater that we live in a "sue-happy" society! How terrible that a school has to fear a lawsuit from a kid getting hurt. Kids get hurt all the time at school, home, everywhere. I hate that everyone feels the need to eliminate good things simply to cover their own butts!
@rmuxagirl (7548)
• United States
1 Nov 06
If they start banning games like tag and touch football during recess what else will they ban! When I was in elementary school a kid fell off the merry go round and busted his head open...They didn't ban that. Kids could get h urt jumping off swings and anything else. It's a part of being a kid. We can't tell kids what they can and cannot do during recess to have fun out of fear that they would get hurt.
