A SCHOOL has had to alter a controversial ‘no touch’ rule – just days after insisting it was nothing new.
Mossley Hollins decided ‘no student should ever be touching another student. No carrying of other students, cuddling, or play fighting will be tolerated’.
After being approached by The Correspondent, the Huddersfield Road establishment insisted the rule was only an extension of something that had been in place for 25 years.
But less than a week later, after accusations of being ‘woke’, headteacher Andrea Din announced the change.
In an apology, she said: “I wanted to write to apologise to those students and parents who have taken the time to communicate constructively, with the school – thank you.
“You understood what we were trying to do but had reservations. You were right.
“Our ‘no contact’ phrase and the examples we gave were not right and I take responsibility for that.
“I have met with our head students to listen to them to hear what we are trying to promote and get right, especially at break and lunchtime,
‘We agree that appropriate human contact is a good thing and brings warmth to human friendships, should both sides be in favour of it. Heavy-handed contact or inappropriate contact in schools, as in the wider world, is not.
“Our rule has been made much clearer – students should not use ‘heavy-handed contact’. This applies outside the building just as it does inside.
“I apologise, once again, that the article was just not helpful in getting the balance we were trying to get right, between mature interaction and support and care, and caused upset: this was never the intention and I am sorry that it has caused so much disruption.”
An initial outcry, mostly on social media, seems to have won the day, even though Mossley Hollins insisted that rather than depriving pupils of the chance to show emotion to each other or, in many eyes, act like kids, it was merely enhancing something that had already been at the Huddersfield Road school for about 25 years.
And getting people used to how things were before lockdown was a key reason for it.
In a statement to The Correspondent, Tame River Educational Trust, which runs Mossley Hollins, said: “In the partner school to MHHS, they have had this policy for more than 10 years without any fuss from parents.
“At Mossley Hollins, the school has had a ‘no-contact’ expectation for over 25 years, again without any fuss.
“As a result of long-periods of lockdown in all schools, so many younger students have missed out on the excellent preparation in socialisation that primary schools have always given to them.
“At present, and it is such a shame to see, some youngsters in secondary schools aren’t yet quite sure how to make friends appropriately or how to respect the personal space of others. So many of the MHHS students are reporting this.
“Just like their parents and carers, schools have a duty to help them.
“So all MHHS has done is turn 25 years of good practice into an easy-to-follow policy to help younger students pick up on what primaries would normally have had the time to show them, had it not been for lock-down.
“MHHS has introduced a trial policy to build on current practice of no-contact to augment the already calm and positive culture and help students return from lockdown.
“This trial policy is aimed at eradicating any heavy-handedness and inappropriateness and to encourage students further to have decent, caring and positive conversations with their peers.
“The school will certainly be continuing with this in the building and in movement to lessons as students seem to be hugely in favour of it and the atmosphere is even more calm, friendly and kind than before.
“The school will be keeping an eye on it in the grounds to see its impact on healthy play and dialogue at break and lunchtime. So far, students and staff are noticing the difference for the better.”
Mossley Hollins said the new rule was introduced to ensure that everyone feels safe in school, has a supportive environment in and outside of lessons, demonstrates mutual respect and are kind to each other, has a positive attitude towards each other and has healthy relationships with their peers.
It meant there can be no, among other things, toy fighting or rough play, no jumping on each other, cuddling or carrying of each other and no holding places or jumping in line when queuing for lunch.
But while some said it is too heavy-handed or even ‘woke,’ the trust was initaially adamant it is helping students be good citizens away from school.
It added: “The school wants students, at break and lunchtime, to feel safe, to play outside and enjoy each other’s company.
“But no-one is in favour of any student spoiling an atmosphere of kindness, friendship and great learning.
“Competitive sports and performing arts remain unaffected and students – girls and boys – can enjoy the personal space they deserve.
“It should not be forgotten that students do have 175 days of the year (holidays and weekends) and 365 evenings, every year, where they are not in school, which, the school believes, provides a healthy balance on how to be good citizens.
“This further work just helps them be great friends and even more respectful people outside school, just as they are inside.
“The school is always looking for ways to listen to our school community through the proper channels to embed its school values of manners, hard work and honesty.
“In upholding the value of manners, the school aims to ensure that children will not invade the personal space of other children who don’t want it.
“This allows the whole school community to get on with the business of teaching and learning, at a very difficult time in the lives of so many people.
“Now, that is an important story.”