No room for school's zero tolerance
Fifth-graders in California who adorned their mortarboards with tiny toy plastic soldiers this week to support troops in Iraq were forced to cut off their miniature weapons. A Utah boy was suspended for giving his cousin a cold pill prescribed to both students. In Rhode Island, a kindergartner was suspended for bringing a plastic knife to school so he could cut cookies.
It's all part of "zero tolerance" rules, which typically mandate severe punishments for weapons and drug offenses regardless of the circumstances.
Lawmakers in several states say the strict policies in schools have resulted in many punishments that lack common sense, and are seeking to loosen the restrictions.
I hope they are successful. I personally am insulted that a child was forced to "disarm" his plastic soldiers. Though, this sort of silliness is not limited to schools. I'm embarrassed to admit that the homeschool park day group that I attend bans squirt guns at the park, and all weapons play, or anything that looks like boys rough housing. Even at Halloween, the police officer and the knight costume had to go sans weapons.
Since we meet in public parks, the rule is technically unenforceable. I tell my kids to play on the far side of the park if I think that someone is going be upset by their style of play. I feel ridiculous every time I have to explain this policy to a homeschooler who calls for information about our group. I usually preface it with, "This is a really quirky group. They are very nice people, but..." It is sad the this policy, which caters to a small minority, has pushed more than a few homeschool families to find another homeschool support group.
I can't tell if I'm being considerate of the small minority or a coward for letting it go on like this. A few years ago I surreptitiously reworded the park day guidelines so that they weren't quite so extreme, but I didn't nearly go far enough.
When I was new in the group, I didn’t think it was my place to change things. Now that I’m one of the old timers, it is time for me to take a stand. But first, I will need to go out and buy some squirt guns.
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Related Tags: zero tolerance, squirt guns, homeschool
4 comments:
My children enjoy squirt guns and so did I when I was a child. While it may seem somewhat strict to keep children from playing with toy guns or squirt guns in public places or anywhere, sometimes it can eliminate problems such as other people mistaking the toys for the real thing and reporting it or an officer accidentally shooting a child. Unfortunately things like this happen. An alternative suggestion would be to let the kids play with spray bottles to squirt eachother. They actually will have to refill less often and one of our local daycares uses spray bottles in the summer since they can't use squirt guns. It works just as well and the kids still have the same fun.
Stacy in Arkansas
I just read this in our newspaper yesterday. My husband and I especially liked the part where they had to cut the guns off of their plastic soldiers while making their project to honor the soldiers. What do they think our soldiers do out in the field, yell, "I'm going to damage your self esteem if you don't stop trying to blow me up!!!"
I'm thankful that in our "school", my kids can not only keep the guns on their toy soldiers, but they can even pretend their soldiers are attacking the enemy!! Gasp!!
barrellfullofmonkeys
www.homeschoolblogger.com/myquiversfull
Thanks, barrelfull of monkeys.
"What do they think our soldiers do out in the field, yell, "I'm going to damage your self esteem if you don't stop trying to blow me up!!!"
My husband asked me why I was laughing.
Stacy,
Children do use squirt bottles at the park.
I don't think anyone is going to mistake a bright yellow squirt gun for a real gun. I agree that a play gun that looks real is a really bad idea.
We don't even own any squirt guns, so the guideline at parkday doesn't really effect my family. It is the principle of the thing.
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