Mum calls school ‘bonkers’ after they ban children from doing handstands

"They've officially gone bonkers!"

One mum has taken to a parenting forum to share her frustration with her child’s school as they introduced a rule that she is calling “bonkers”. The mum posted to Mumsnet after the primary school banned some simple gymnastics from the schoolyard.

“Primary school officially gone bonkers,” she wrote. “The head who has emailed me to clarify that the school has banned gymnastic moves including handstands, bridge and headstands at breaktimes. “But for some strange reason, cartwheels are permitted. What about a cartwheel that accidentally turns into a handstand? Eh?”

The angered mum went on to share the reason behind the school’s decision in her post, saying:

“The reasoning, I’m told, is that they have had a lot of injuries. “Darling daughter broke her arm going down a slide at the park. I didn’t stop her going on slides. “What’s next? Ban football in case someone gets hit by a [football], ban running in case a knee is scraped?”

And it seems many parents feel similar. Users took to the comments to share some of the “bizarre” rules their children's’ schools have introduced.

“The school is gradually banning fun/childhood,” the mum continued. “This is one thing in a long line of other things and might just be the straw that breaks the camel’s back and makes us move schools, but then again, perhaps all primary schools have bonkers rules, just for the sake of having rules.”

One parent on the site, who is also a teacher, commented in defence of the rule, however, saying:

“I have mixed views on this as a teacher – small tarmac playground. “Obviously we want the children to get as much fun and exercise as possible but one of our lunchtime staff nearly got a broken jaw from a cartwheel last week. “There’s just not enough space.”