Primary school pupils banned from sending Valentine's cards 'so they don't get upset if they get dumped'

Killjoy: Ashcombe Primary School pupil Aryan Takyar, five, has been banned from sending a Valentine's Day card


For most it is a harmless rite of passage – and one remembered with affection. But the tradition of exchanging cards on Valentine’s Day has been denied to children in one primary school.

Pupils have been banned from celebrating or sending cards – to protect them from the emotional trauma of being dumped. The pupils have been warned that if any cards are found or exchanged in school, they will be confiscated.

Teachers at Ashcombe Primary School in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, believe children are not ‘emotionally mature’ enough to understand relationships.

Headmaster Peter Turner this week wrote to parents of the 430 pupils, who are aged between five and 11, to inform them of the policy.

‘Some children and parents encourage a lot of talk about boyfriends and girlfriends,’ he said. ‘This often leads to children being upset when they are “dumped” and other fuss which interrupts their learning.

'The school believes that such ideas should wait until children are mature enough emotionally and socially to understand the commitment involved in having or being a boyfriend or girlfriend.

‘For this reason, we do not wish to see any Valentine’s Day cards in school this year. Any cards found in school will be confiscated.’

Parents condemned the ban.

The father of one eight-year-old boy said: ‘Learning about relationships and forming bonds with others is an important part of school life.

‘Children of all ages develop crushes, and Valentine’s Day is a harmless way for them to indulge those crushes in a fun manner. It helps them to learn about love in a simple way that even very young children can understand.

‘I think it’s ridiculously heavyhanded to ban Valentine’s Day and deny them the opportunity.’

The mother of a six-year-old girl said: ‘I remember the fun and excitement of Valentine’s Day from my own childhood – I think it’s sad the children will miss out on that.’

Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe also criticised the move.

‘This is a stupid thing to ban. Primary schoolchildren don’t think in adult terms and send cards as a bit of fun and mild affection,’ she said. ‘Valentine’s day is just a bit of fun to them and teachers should be worrying more about academic standards than emotionally wrapping up their pupils in cotton wool.’


source: dailymail