A primary school in the English seaside resort town of Brighton has banned children from playing the playground game ‘Tag’, claiming the game was “too rough” and encouraging kids to play with “gentle hands”.
Children have been playing tag and other ‘chase games’ for centuries; a version of the game was even mentioned in poetry from Ancient Greece, over 2,000 years ago.
But modern-day British boys and girls are not capable of handling games like tag and British bulldog, argues Joanne Smith, the headmistress at the Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery in Brighton.
In a letter to parents, Mrs Smith said: “To clarify, ‘gentle hands’ does not mean ‘no touching’. The children are, of course, allowed to hold hands or play clapping games with a friend should they wish to.”
“Gentle Hands simply means playing games outside that do not need to be physical. This will ensure the playground is a happy, safe and calm place where everyone can enjoy their lunchtime running around and getting the exercise we know is important to them”, she added.
Just how long ‘clapping games’ will be permitted on the playground remains to be seen, however, given it has been deemed too triggering for students at the University of Oxford.
Not all of the parents at the school were pleased with the new regulations, reports The Times.
One parent said: “The game is played everywhere, it doesn’t need any instructions, it is naturally instinctive for children to play. The school has gone about this completely the wrong way.”
Another said: “Children need opportunities to get upset with each other and work it out. These are essential life skills.”
Tag is just the latest kids’ game to fall prey to left-progressive sentiments in the United Kingdom, with other school having cracked down on pupils playing leapfrog, conkers, marbles, and even skipping.