A school in England has prohibited the use of whistles to signal the end of playtime because it has been characterized as "aggressive" and might scare the children. Now, the end of playtime at St Monica's Catholic Primary in Milton Keynes will be signaled by the raised hands of its staff.
Mirror reported that one of the school's assistants, Pamela Cunningham said in a letter to Country Life Magazine about the ban that school staff are worried that hand signals may not suffice in times of emergency. According to The Telegraph, Cunningham still keeps a whistle in her pocket for emergencies.
Bizarre reason school bans staff from blowing a whistle to end playtime https://t.co/2OqK99I5Za pic.twitter.com/XQRADezsPi
— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) May 22, 2016
Experts Disagree With Whistle Ban
"We have become over-sensitive. Sharp noises are very good signals," said Buckingham University Professor Alan Smithers. Smithers also asked if children will be unable to play football and hockey as the referees of the sport use whistles to police the game.
"From my many years of experience with children and working with primary schools, I am yet to find a child who is scared of a whistle," said child psychologist Emma Kenny. Kenny said children should be taught not to be scared due to loud noises.
According to Daily Mail, St Monica's Catholic Primary is a co-ed Voluntary Aided Catholic Primary School for children aged three to 11. Its motto is Let Trust, Respect and Love live here. There are currently 467 children enrolled in the school.
Various Bans In Different Schools
Another English Primary School in England has also imposed a ban related to playtime. The school banned its students to play tag in the school's playground. The head teacher reportedly said that students are not happy about "the rough and tumble" of the game.
There is another ban, this time outside of playtime, in an English University. Graduates of the University of Anglia, also in England, are now prohibited from throwing their mortarboards in the air in their graduation rites. Graduates have reportedly been hurt by falling graduation hats in recent years.
Should whistles be banned in signaling the end of playtime? Write your comments below.
