To think this head teacher has lost the plot?

[pointythings]

link here

I read this today and was just . In what world does this make any sense? By all means let's have rules about walking in an orderly manner between classes and enforce them, but this smacks of the Ministry of Silly Walks to me. I don't understand how anyone could think this was a good idea.

[bearleftmonkeyright]

WTAF!? She's lost it, trying to make her mark probably.

[Pensfriends]

That does sound very strange. I'd be worried about my DS(5). He's very clumsy and would always be falling on his face!

[LurkingHusband]

Have you read "The Peter Principe ?

U. Tredwell was a competent assistant principal in an Excelsior City elementary school, intellectually capable, maintaining good discipline among students and good morale among teachers. After promotion, he found his level of incompetence as principal: he lacked the tact necessary to deal with parents’ organizations, newspaper reporters, the district superintendent of schools, and the elected members of the school board. He fell out of favor with the officials, and the reputation of his school began to decline in the eyes of the public.
Tredwell launched an ingenious Side-Issue Specialization. He developed an obsessive concern with the human traffic problems—with the swirls, eddies and bumps caused by movement of students and staff about halls, corridors, corners and stairways.
On large-scale plans of the building he worked out an elaborate system of traffic flow. He had lines and arrows painted in various colors on the walls and floors. He insisted on rigid observance of his traffic laws. No student was allowed to cross a white line. Suppose that one boy, during a lesson period, was sent from his classroom to take a message to a room immediately across the corridor. He could not cross the line down the middle: he had to walk right to the end of the corridor, go around the end of the line, then back down the other side of it.
Tredwell spent much time prowling the building looking for violations of his system; he wrote many articles about it for professional journals; he escorted visiting groups of Side-Issue-Specialist educators on tours of the building; he is at present engaged in writing a book on the subject, illustrated with many plans and photographs.
He is active and contented, and enjoys perfect health, with not the slightest sign of the Final Placement Syndrome. Another triumph for Side-Issue Specialization!

[anothernumberone]

Healf and Safety doncha know. In case errant elbows happen into the child walking the otherside of the corridor. It is London they are tight for space so corridors are probably really really narrow.

[Haffdonga]

Fuss about nothing IMO.

I could see it would make lots of sense. Loads of kids walking through narrow corridors waving their arms around (as kids are wont to do) - I'm sure plenty have ended up with accidental elbows in faces.

Asking kids to walk with their hands just down by their sides seems sensible instead but if you are an excited 8 year old rushing out to play it's hard to remember not to raise them. Simple solution - get them to clasp their hands together, give it an aspirational '' sort of name and make the kids feel grown up - sorted.

I'd like to know how they carry things though.

[Snossidge]

I guess they are trying to stop children touching displays and each other as they walk down the corridor. Ridiculous though, especially for infants.

[SenecaFalls]

Why is it called a "university walk"? I just did Google images and only got pictures of tree-lined paths filled with studently looking types.

[bearleftmonkeyright]

If Londoners are short of space in schools, wouldn't it make more sense to make children walk with their hands in the air all the time? A space saving solution which would make children compliant at the same time. You could definitely fit more children in corridors then.

[GoblinLittleOwl]

This is a joke, right?
The article, I mean.

[mrssmith79]

Bonkers.

Lurkinghusband , I work in the NHS, the Peter Principle is rife - and so damaging.

[SenecaFalls]

I have a balance issue and have had all my life (was not able to ride a bicycle as a child). I can't walk safely now with my hands behind my back as I need them by my side to maintain my balance. It would have been far worse when I was a child.

This is just bizarre.

[catfordbetty]

The stupidity of the rule is nicely matched by the stupidity of the parents' reactions.

[SplatterMustard]

She's taking control-freakery to a whole new level isn't she?!

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I've been to university, dsis went to Oxford, and neither of us walked around with our hands clasped behind our backs!

If she wants to raise aspiration, she should spend her time - oh, I don't know - actually educating her pupils! And teaching children strict and unquestioning obedience to authority is not going to encourage them to be independent thinkers, is it?

[ComposHatComesBack]

Sounds like somebody's drunk on her own power and getting off on acting the petty tyrant.

[AuntieStella]

[G1veMeStrength]

If I was a headteacher I'd have a different way they had to dance round the school for each day of the week with music blaring.

Conga
Vogue
Locomotion
Timewarp

oh God I can't think of another. Back to my office job then.

[dayslikethis]

With the exceptions of
a. carrying stuff and
b. going up or down stairs
I don't see anything wrong with this - seriously - what's the fuss??? With both the exceptions noted above there are ways around it - when carrying stuff you carry it in front of you and if you have a free hand it is behind your back, and when on the stairs one hand is on the bannisters and the other is behind you.

I honestly don't get what the problem is.

[SantanaLopez]

Conga
Vogue
Locomotion
Timewarp

Cha cha slide, macarena, Saturday Night (do young ones know that one?) and the Grease hand jive

[pointythings]

Trouble please do try this as an experiment, would be fascinating to hear back.

I do not buy the argument that there is no other way to impose sensible walking in corridors. I just don't. It's bollocks.

[AuntieStella]

G1veMeStrength

Walk like an Egyptian
Macarena (or hakarena during All Blacks tours)
Agadoo

And once a year, Bring In Your Skateboards day for a rolling version of Oops Upside Your Head

[Girlfriend36]

I just saw this doing the rounds on fb and was I would be moving dd if she were at that school it is completely and utterly ludicrous!!

[SenecaFalls]

I honestly don't get what the problem is.

Well, for one thing it is the position that hands are in when cuffed by the police.

[Girlfriend36]

The problem is they are children and it is a completely pointless and unnecessary rule! If I went into work tomorrow and they told me I had to walk around with my hands behind my back I would laugh at them - it is ridiculous!!