Strollerderby
Idiotic Idea of the Day: School Bans Tag
A Colorado Springs school has banned tag. In fact, they banned any game involving chasing. How come? “‘It causes a lot of conflict on the playground,’ said Assistant
Principal Cindy Fesgen. In the first days of school, before tag was
banned, she said students would complain to her about being chased or
harassed.” And it’s stories like this that make me wonder if I’m becoming some crotchety libertarian crackpot, poised to start scrawling letters to the editor. Because I think this is ri-stupid-iculous. Here’s how my rant will start: “We are raising a nation of namby-pamby kids, unable to resolve conflicts or function in the world because there’s a damn ban on everything remotely controversial.”
Seriously, I’m irritated for starters because we’ve already sheltered our kids from physical activities like bike riding and walking to school because supposedly there’s a kidnapper or pedophile lurking on every corner. Now in an effort to purge the schoolyard of conflict, there’s bans on every dang activity (even ones like tag that are good for fitness) and just loads of focus on a safe, positive, orderly school climate. That isn’t a totally bad thing, but outlawing crap is really a lame solution. How about working with kids on conflict resolution? Having kids take part in the discussion of what’s appropriate and what’s hurtful, and give them a say in determining the rules? Or not worrying so damn much about our children being scarred by tag?
Yup, I’m a total crank.
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7 Comments
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amPingback from School Bans Tag, says it "Causes Conflict" « nigelmoose
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amPingback from No more tag
RachelZ commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amThis is fucking stupid. I have a megaphone if anyone wants to borrow it for protesting. Tag? Are you freaking kidding me?
I must be old, but we did nothing BUT play tag in grade school. And kickball. Oh, and we had swings on the playground. And monkey bars. And a metal slide. And the World’s Most Dangerous Merry-Go-Round. SIGH. That’s how you learn – you watch That One Kid break his leg a few times and then realize that you maybe don’t want to jump off of the top of the monkey bars.
The whole world is stupid.
AnneCA commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amSounds like they need to outlaw chasing and harassing, not tag. Or just explain the rules of tag. Were the kids who were complaining about being chased actually playing tag? Since the word “harassed” is being used, I’m guessing not. So, there you go, that, not tag, is the problem.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI’ll stand right next to you while you rant. I’ll even hold your hand.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amPingback from miserablebliss… · You’re It.
friskycat01 commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amFreakin idiots!
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