The One-Foot Rule

This school rule reminds me of that Harry Potter scene where the very prude, very pink Dolores Umbridge shook her wand to separate a couple of high school kids doing some breaktime lovey-dovey in the hall.

It IS applicable in middle school and high school, I suppose.  But applying this rule to primary schoolers --and even Prep kids-- is just weird.

Imagine disallowing hugs between 7-year olds.  Or banning 8-year olds from skipping while holding hands.  That's supposed to be cute, right?  And innocent!  When the school tells these children that such show of playful friendship is actually taboo, that's introducing the concept of malice at a very early age.

It also alarms me that some schools put a censorship on kids calling each other 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend'.  What!  He's a 'boy' and he's a 'friend'!  Geez.  Oh, and kids giving each other cute little drawings of flowers or hearts.  Whoa!  Where's the fire???  That's friendship, prude patrol.  It's not a wedding ring or a condom.  Double geez.

I understand that these days, paranoia is a handy thing to have.  But too much of it can just spell trouble where it never existed before.  Now children will wonder why the simplest of actions have become 'bad'.  And, more often than not, when kids know something is 'bad' --they'll do it behind authority's back.

Now look what you've done.