PERTH, Australia (PNN) - November 1, 2012 - A mother in Western Australia is demanding an apology from her child’s school after her 12-year-old daughter was given a detention for hugging a classmate, in an act of bureaucratic insanity by mindless school officials.
Heidi Rome’s daughter Amber was punished at the Adam Road Primary School in Bunbury, south of Perth, for giving her friend a quick hug after the school bell rang.
Apparently that violated the school’s no-hugging policy, a “blanket rule” which was brought in last year.
The WA Education Department today confirmed the school’s policy. It was introduced after “excessive hugging” left some students with bruises and others feeling left out.
The school’s acting principal and chief mindless bureaucrat, Gemma Preston, said, “We introduced a rule about hugging last year after parents complained about their children being hurt by excessive hugging. For example, some children received bruised ribs from an over-enthusiastic hug. This behavior was getting out of control with students hugging each other several times a day, and this was becoming disruptive to classes. The rule was reinforced with our Year 6 and 7 students again last week during a general talk about being role models for the younger students. In this particular incident, the students involved were hugging on school grounds just two hours after this talk and it was important to follow it through as a discipline issue.”
Education department deputy director general David Axworthy said, “Principals are in the best position to determine what rules need to be made inside their schools.”
Preston told Ms. Rome she had to make an example of Amber and her friend, who were caught hugging just hours after a school address on the ban.
Ms. Rome is angry that her daughter, a high achiever and a “bright, caring person of whom her teacher thinks highly” has become a victim of a “silly, ridiculous rule”.
“I didn’t even know about it, and everyone I’ve spoken to thinks it’s outrageous,” she said.
“Some parents are aware of the rule - they think it’s absolutely ridiculous. Some parents aren’t aware - they also think it’s absolutely ridiculous,” said Ms. Rome.
The school told her that she would have to put the issue in writing.
Ms. Rome says she is concerned that children are getting the wrong message when they are punished for being friendly.
“It’s a really good school that’s just got a silly rule that I’m wanting to try and change,” she said.
“I think my daughter deserves an apology for this over-the-top punishment,” added Ms. Rome.
In 2010 the parents from a Gold Coast primary school labeled a move to issue detentions for hugging on school grounds as “political correctness gone mad”.
Ms. Rome says some parents at Amber’s school had complained about boyfriend/girlfriend hugging and excessive contact, prompting the rule to be introduced.
