Hand-holding, handshakes, hugs and high-fives banned
Fairfax County middle school student Hal Beaulieu hopped up from his lunch table one day a few months ago, sat next to his girlfriend and slipped his arm around her shoulder. That landed him a trip to the school office.
Among his crimes: hugging.
All touching — not only fighting or inappropriate touching — is against the rules at Kilmer Middle School in Vienna. Hand-holding, handshakes and high-fives? Banned. The rule has been conveyed to students this way: “NO PHYSICAL CONTACT!!!!!”
School officials say the rule helps keep crowded hallways and lunchrooms safe and orderly, and ensures that all students are comfortable. But Hal, 13, and his parents think the school’s hands-off approach goes too far, and they are lobbying for a change.
What do you think? Is this taking things a bit too far or have we become a society that has forced this type of rule to be enforced?
Personally, I think it’s a bit much!
I think many of our teachers have either:
1. Grown lazier over time
or
2. Are actually afraid to do their job without having all these insane rules in place to help protect them.
I’ve always been a fan of fearing the paddle at school and feel that all those who fought to have it removed have opened the flood gates to inappropriate behavior.
Seriously, I don’t think I would have ever been afraid of a lunch detention or even an after school detention. I was the sound of that paddle cracking on another students butt that echoed through the halls that kept me in line.
Thoughts?
source – Washington Post
Tags: inappropriate touching, no physical contact, teens, schools, teachers, rules, detention
Need I explain why we moved out of that county?? Fairfax County schools are getting to be a little too politically correct and paranoid. Personally, I prefer our little school here in the country where the teachers can give the kids hugs and the kids can give each other high fives.
And, we can have a Christmas tree in the lobby of the school, too!
I’m with you Char. I think this is taking things just a little bit err really, allot too far.
Terrible! Just terrible
Its who we are, it is what we do, it’s simply human nature to show affection. To ban it will create it’s own set of problems.
Do children not learn respect, team work and sympathy at school, all of which are learned through signs of affection/friendship?
Food for thought.
Word up. It’s been banned here too, though I hug my friends and take the detention full-heartedly.
Just because I’m tired of affection being quickly seen as sexual. It isn’t the school’s place to keep us afraid of physical contact.
Well, its Jan 08, did that every get overruled? I just have to say, the idea of baning touching of all sorts is rediculous! How would I have survived without those very necissary hugs, and pats on the back, even high fives from the teacher. I had some very cool teachers in high school