Friday 24 June 2022 03:51 PM Secondary school U-turns on strict 'no contact' rule for pupils trends now
A headmistress accused of 'extreme control freakery' after she banned pupils from hugging each other under a 'no contact' rule has apologised after a backlash.
Andrea Dinn, head of Mossley Hollins High School in Greater Manchester, introduced the new rule last week saying youngsters should not engage in cuddling or playfighting due to fears they could put their classmates at risk of 'harm'.
The rule also banned pupils from carrying each other during playtime and even holding a place in the queue for their friends at lunch.
They were also banned from overcrowding benches, toy fighting, and the hurling of 'objects'.
Parents reacted with anger, accusing the school of trying to turn children into 'robots.'
Miss Din, who joined the school as assistant head in 2019 before being promoted to the top job, apologised and said cuddling would be allowed.
Headteacher Andrea Dinn admitted parents 'were right' about the ban and said the rule was 'just not helpful in getting the balance we were trying to get right'
Parents accused teachers at Mossley Hollins High School in Greater Manchester of a 'complete failure to understand human needs and behaviour.' One pupil said that the rules were 'unfair' and 'ridiculous' after she had to ask a teacher for permission to hug a friend when she hurt herself
In a message on the school's website she said: 'I wanted to write to apologise to those students and parents who have taken the time to communicate constructively, with the school, expressing your concerns.
'The ideas such parents and students gave have been kind and very helpful. Thank you. You understood what we were trying to do but had reservations about what the article said. You were right.
'The school remains determined to have a way of working that helps those youngsters who have missed out on so much socialisation in school due to lockdown absence.
'However, our previous "no contact" phrase and the examples we gave in our article in the last Newsflash [school newsletter] were not right and I take responsibility for that.'
She added: 'I have met with our head students to listen to
