Previously I began discussion in both article and forum form about the abolition of playing tag on the playground at Kent Gardens Elementary. The principal stopped the game after it became too aggressive. She said some students were getting hurt and others were being forced to play when they did not want to participate.
The principal received many unhappy responses to her decision. While some parents were happy that the game had been stopped, others were not. The children were especially upset. They gathered a petition with over 160 names. The students held a protest and gave the principal the petition.
After all of the hype, the principal decided that the game would once again be allowed on the school grounds. However, the students would first undergo playground safety courses. In their physical education classes, the students underwent a week of appropriate play behavior courses.
The principal sent out an email message to all of the parents that detailed her plans for the return of the game. In addition to the safety courses, it is also very likely that there will be more intense teacher monitoring while the students are playing.
Parents and students alike are happy to see the game return. However many feel that the measures taken by the principal should have been taken earlier before the game ever got so out of hand. The entire incident could have been avoided with a quicker response.
I agree that issues like this should never reach the point that Kent Gardens reached. The game and aggression should have been discussed well before it needed to be abolished. Yet I have not read much discussion about the measures taken before the game was stopped. Perhaps some were taken but were not effective. Ending the game completely may have been the only way for the principal to gain full attention from the children.
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