Paper Planes Banned

**SwanTiger** · 21st June 2006, 23:24

Originally Posted by dailymail.co.uk

Pupils have been banned from throwing paper planes to one another - in case they get injured.

Staff at a primary school have instead set up special targets in the playground for the children to aim at.

The edict follows claims by teachers that a few of the school's pupils, aged between three and 11, had been 'over-zealous' in launching the missiles.

The headteacher argued the ban was 'a sensible' measure - but parents of some of the 230 pupils reacted with disbelief.

Coming in the wake of high-profile bans around the country on traditional playground games such as tag and conkers, they fear aversion to risk is denying their children the learning experience they enjoyed.

One father of a seven-year-old boy said: 'I've heard it all now. We made paper planes and our parents did the same and I never heard of anyone getting hurt.

'It's taking the health-and-safety measures to absurd lengths. Heaven knows what they will think to ban next.'

Staff at Bishops Down Primary School in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, introduced the ban earlier this month after two pupils were seen aiming their paper planes at other children.

The youngsters are still allowed to make the darts but are being supervised to ensure they only launch them at the targets.

Headteacher Emma Savage sai staff were particularly concerned about eye injuries.

'These planes can have sharp edges and have the potential to damage a young person's eyes,' she said.

'We have stopped pupils from aiming them at other children's eyes, which would seem like a reasonable thing to do.

'But they can still make and throw planes as much as they want because we have a safe area with targets in the playground.

'The measure was taken because some of the children were getting a bit over-zealous.'

Mrs Savage claimed no one had complained about the ban.

Personally, I don't see a lot wrong with it has the school has made measures to accomodate the activity rather than out-right banning it.

An interesting Media spin-off none the less.

**ogr1** · 21st June 2006, 23:29

This nanny f@@kin state started all this shite off with banning "conkers"! ffs!
When I drop off my 4 year old son at nursery it's still ok for some idiotic parents to bring their dog into the school yard while we are waiting to let the kids in or out........This country is f@@ked onto it's head!

**Shadows** · 21st June 2006, 23:38

We had better ban books as well. They can give nasty paper cuts too. Hey, if we did that, we could then do away with pencils. You could have somebody's eye out with one of those!

**Ixion** · 21st June 2006, 23:55

Loonie lefties strike again. God, I'd hate to be a kid nowdays, they get no fun and everybody expects them to be "mature". No wonder they get into sex and drugs, it's a rebellion against the dreary grey mindless excitmentless existence that's forced upon them

Hell, I'd forgotten about the paper dart wars we used to have, with paper clips straigtened out and stuck in the noses of the planes. They were good fun. What's the fun in throwing the things at a poxy target - it's throwing them at other kids that's fun - and having them throw them back.

Bastards, give the kids back their childhood.Naturally, it's a FEMALE head teacher. Another femi-nazi strike against boys. So, tell me again, why is it boys are doing so lousy at school?

**R6_kid:Me** · 22nd June 2006, 00:06

so they go in the play ground, practice hitting a target, then go back to class make a dart and knowing how it will fly, aim it at another pupil... is that really safer?

**Quartida** · 22nd June 2006, 01:16

It's the same ridiculous "it's-for-your-own-good" "wrap-em-up-in-cotton-wool" attitude that created "Baa Baa Rainbow Sheep".

Utter madness.

**NSR-Dan** · 22nd June 2006, 01:26

i remember when i was a kid we had this kick ass massive long slide that had no saftey barriers, and would give you wicked burns if you wernt wearing appropriate clothing. i recon bring that shit back. give the kids these days some balls. no wonder the nancy boys are taking over these days.

**inlinefour** · 22nd June 2006, 02:23

If I throw a paper dart at swanny and it hits him in the head, he would probably swear and throw it back at me making sure it was aimed in a similar area of the body. When does it get to the stage when the public say its gotten too far? For me it did several years back.

**ZeroIndex** · 22nd June 2006, 06:29

there's a thing parents and teachers have been trying to get rid of for years.. it's called "NATURAL SELECTION" it's how people learned "don't jump off the building head first, cause it hurts, and most of the time, you won't see your next birthday"

Fine, take precautions, but don't suck the fun out of living life, otherwise, what's the point of being alive

[hooray for bikes]

**ZeroIndex** · 22nd June 2006, 06:32

Staff at Bishops Down Primary School in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, introduced the ban earlier this month after two pupils were seen aiming their paper planes at other children.

just do what they used to do to bullies that got caught.. the kane.. oh wait.. i'm being oppressed by political correctness now..

Q: in one line, explain this latest 'news items' impact on the world?
A: just another step closer to the drain..

**ZeroIndex** · 22nd June 2006, 06:34

OOOOH!!! I see the future!!! 2067A.D.
Police Report: ...and chief witness (a cashier) replied to questioning, "we handed over all the money when this kid walked in waving around a paper airplane.. I've never been so scared in my life"

BWAHAHAHA. HARDEN UP WORLD!!

**grandpa_dave** · 22nd June 2006, 07:42

It all started when they banned Sky-rockets at guy fawkes.....How much fun was it having sky rocket wars at school?
And double happies?
How long will the rest of the fireworks last? Roman candles next to go would be my guess....Then it's only a matter of time until Sparklers are out.

**idb** · 22nd June 2006, 08:05

There was an article on the radio on Saturday about playground design.
They interviewed some expert from America (not a slur on Merkens, just happened to be there) and she was talking about measures taken in some states.
Apparently more than one state has banned swings and seesaws from school grounds.
The interviewer mused as to where it will all end - will they ban running next?
The answer was that one state has banned running in the school playgrounds - Florida I think it was.

**Insanity_rules** · 22nd June 2006, 08:13

Oh boy, they're at it again!

**MikeyG** · 22nd June 2006, 08:14

Originally Posted by grandpa_dave

It all started when they banned Sky-rockets at guy fawkes.....How much fun was it having sky rocket wars at school?
And double happies?
How long will the rest of the fireworks last? Roman candles next to go would be my guess....Then it's only a matter of time until Sparklers are out.

Just learn how to make them yourself. All it takes is a few common household chemicals.