In light of Argyll and Bute Council's sensible decision to overturn their controversial ban on a 9-year-old's lunch blog, I thought it was time to look at some of the silliest school bans of all time.
1. 'All physical contact' - Just this week it was revealed that an overprotective school in Melbourne had banned all forms of physical contact including hugging, high-fives, contact sport and even comforting a friend with a pat on the back. The justification was that the children had to be taught about 'playing rough' in the playground.
2. Skirts - Skirts have reportedly been banned at Moulton School and Science College in Northamptonshire, as of September to prevent the 'early sexualisation' of girls. They will instead have to wear black tailored trousers. Pretty sure that despite the trousers, the girls will still watch TV, read magazines and open their eyes outside of the school gates!
3. Valentines cards - A similar idea, and equally as ineffective. Children at Ashcombe Primary School in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, were banned from celebrating Valentine's Day or exchanging cards because the head teacher said they are not emotionally mature enough to cope.
4. Blu-tack - This has to be one of the strangest. Earlier this week teachers at a Scottish primary school banned the sticky tack due to fears that if placed on a window it may explode. Following the panicked ripping of children's work from the windows, a government myth-busting body confirmed the fears to be false.
5. Shops - A personal favourite. As a 15-year-old my entire all-girls secondary school was banned from the local Superdrug after a spate of shoplifting. No girls in brown school uniforms (yes, brown) were allowed into the shop. They seemed to forget that the uniforms weren't permanently attached, and if anything the ban encouraged the kleptomania of makeup and toiletries, which brings me onto the next ban...
6. Makeup and mirrors - Shelley College in Huddersfield called for a temporary ban on mirrors in the womens' restrooms and a permanent ban on makeup, in an attempt to pull the girls' focus away from their appearance and towards their studying. Good luck.
7. Nativity plays - Even the British school tradition of the annual Nativity play has been threatened by more and more schools banning the festivity. Believed offensive to children of non-Christian faith many schools across the country have held 'Winter Festivals', or nothing at all.
8. Baa Baa Black Sheep - Although not officially banned, the controversy that surrounded the nursery rhyme has lead enough nurseries and primary schools to avoid it. Over a decade ago a campaign was claiming the song was 'racially offensive'.
9. Best Friends - Earlier this year The Sun reported a ban on best friends at schools in Kingston, south west London. The idea was to encourage children to play in large groups to avoid upsetting fall-outs.
10. Last but not least, creative blogs about school lunches by 9-year-olds - This list was inspired by a Scottish council's ban on an innovative and debate stirring blog written by a primary school student, one of the silliest bans yet. Luckily after the entire country got up in arms about the ban, the council came to their senses and the chief exec made a grand announcement on BBC Radio 4 that the ban had been lifted.
