Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Weird School Bans

Weird School Bans

Schools have rules to protect students and foster a positive learning environment. Some are strange and controversial – like the ban on bagged lunches recently imposed by one Chicago-area school. Here's a lineup of school bans that have grabbed headlines and begged the question: Have schools gone too far?

Bag lunch ban
The war on childhood obesity has landed in the lunchroom. A school in the Chicago area banned students from bringing bag lunches, claiming they contain unhealthy food.
School bans 'meep'
Inspired by a Muppet students at a high school in Massachusetts started using the word "meep." The school principal felt that the word disrupted school, so it was banned.

Breast cancer awareness bracelets ban
A new marketing campaign for breast cancer awareness has a slogan that some deem offensive, so some school districts have banned bracelets and T-shirts emblazoned with the catch phrase.

Tag game ban
Recess has become a dangerous time for some kids. School officials are concerned with the safety of students when playing contact sports like tag and dodge ball,so the games have been banned in several schools. 
Cartwheel ban
A school in Australia has banned cartwheels and handstands during recess, citing student safety issues. Parents protested, and school officials vowed to find a balance between students' recreation and safety. 
Leggings and skinny jeans ban
Some school districts have added leggings and skinny jeans to their lists of banned clothing. Officials think they're too tight; many students disagree. 
Lip balm ban
A North Carolina school district's ban on lip balm has rubbed some parents the wrong way. Officials claimed their goal was to prevent the spread of germs.
Dictionary ban
Complaints from parents over sexually explicit definitions caused a school in California to ban dictionaries from elementary school classrooms. 
Silly Bandz ban
Silly Bandz are all the rage with American youth. Now they are contraband in some schools. The plastic bracelets were ruled a distraction to students, and they have been banned in many schools. 

Hugging ban
Students must embrace a no-hugging policy at schools in several states. Hugs have been ruled a distraction, the cause of tardiness and even a bizarre form of hazing.
Red Ink Ban
Teachers in some British schools have been banned from using red ink to correct students' work.Other less-offensive colors are deemed more acceptable when it comes to calling out corrections with a positive approach.