Better Safe than Sorry?

[Deleted]

I was not sure quite where to post this, however on reflection thought it best to try and get as wide an opinion as possible.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2040442/Pupils-forced-play-football-SPONGE-ball-case-hurt-themselves.html

Personally I can understand where the Teachers are coming from........ However for me it does also raise a lot of other issues regarding bizarre extremes when it comes to protecting Children.

Deep down I'm just not convinced this is about preventing kids from doing damage to each other, but a hell of a lot more to do with protecting Teachers from prosecution for negligence.

What do you think?

CWL

[Shadow]

I honestly believe this has everything to do with fear of prosecution and no other reason.When my sons were still at Primary a total ban on football in the playground was introduced.This was followed by the lopping off of all lower branches of the smallish trees in the play area in case kids tried to climb them and a ban on running games such as "chasie "in case some-one fell over and injured themselves.Im wondering what exactly the kids are supposed to do during play times now since playing no longer seems to be an option.

I can remember grazing my knees and falling over more times than I care to mention--and no Im not referring to the meets -but I wouldnt have wanted it any other way-we had Fun and sure there were risks but that was part of the excitement.

It seems to me that these days kids are just stifled at every opportunity and have to endure a level of control and mollycoddling that I would have found unbearable.

[Jazz]

Health & Safety gone mad.......why don't we all don suits of armour as of old.....I have experiences of health & safety equipment possibly being downright hazardous, so much of it (clothing etc) being bulky and restricting normal movement!

[Ann1]

Now I know why you don't feel it when you go flying shads - your knees are well hardened ;D This sounds like a wind up, but knowing how things are now, it won't be!!! Instead of restricting kids, they need to restrict these dammed ambulance chasing "no win no fee" solicitors and firms!! How the hell did we get to this point? What happened to old fashioned accidents, everything now has to be someone elses' fault!!! Don't tell Ashley, he might want some, especially if they're cheaper! ;D

[Banshee]

This is typical Daily Mail sensationalism. There is nothing to suggest that real balls will not be used during P.E. lessons, and just that at lunch and play times, the kids will need to use sponge balls. This is nothing new. The same rule was applied in my primary school. We played with proper balls for football and netball during lessons, as there was supervision of the ball at all times. But at playtime we had to use the small plastic balls with holes in (Tennis ball size) during playtime as there was less supervision, as kids were playing all over the playground in different games.
Its nothing new and it makes sense. I guess the Daily Mail didn't have a princess Dianna story, or immigration scrounger story to go with that day.

[wateroftyne]

Just thinking, with fantastic weather coming the next few days, after a poor summer.

If I was in charge, I would close the schools, or take the children to the beach for out door

lessons.

[Banshee]

Here's weird health and safety rule:
Mr Bansh who is a Butcher/slaughter man, has been told that knife sharpeners are not allowed on the shop floor any more.

They all use pretty sharp knives all day long. The knife sharpeners are blunt pieces of steel that you rub your knife up and down to sharpen it.

There is no safety issue on the very sharp knives and equipment, but there is a safety issue on the blunt steel.

You really couldn't make this up, could you?

[Jazz]

They might, just,.....poke somebody's eye out with them though Bansh! ;D

[Ann1]

I used to have one of those knife sharpeners as a poker (in the days of coal fires) It was my ex's dad's, who was a butcher. Used to work a treat as well!! My dad used to put the shovel up against the fireplace and put newspaper over it to "draw" the fire! Posh people had "proper" ones (can't remember what they were called now) made out of metal. He also used to keep a paraffin can next to the fire, and throw some on when it wouldn't start properly!!! It never ceases to amaze me how the human race survived without all the "'Elf and safety" rules!!

[Jazz]

Yes, in our house and in a lot of others, no doubt it was called a "bleazer" or "blazer" as in "I'll get the bleazer to get the fire gannin"! We weren't posh but had the advantage of loads of neighbours working in the shipyards....welders, platers, etc could always knock you up a metal purpose built bleazer!
Chimneys were sometimes "cleaned" by stuffing burning newspapers up the chimney above the fireplace causing outrage to anyone who had washing hanging out to dry.......black looks (and black smuts!) over garden fences to the offender! ;D
By the way, these bleazers often doubled as shields when I was a boy when playing "knights of the round table" and such like games!