According to the recent news from BBC, a primary school in Weston-super-Mare has been criticized for banning Valentine cards to save pupils the “emotional trauma” of being rejected. Children at Ashcombe Primary School were stopped from exchanging cards because the head teacher said they were not emotionally mature enough to cope.
One pupil’s mother said: “I think it’s outrageous. They’re just children. Why spoil their fun?” The woman, whose son attends the school, said: “It’s comical really. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the newsletter. My son is six and he’s had a little girlfriend since nursery. They say they’re going to get married, but we don’t read anything into it.”
Mr Turner said in the newsletter that children get upset when they are “dumped” which interrupts their learning. He said children should wait until they are mature enough emotionally and socially to understand the commitment in having a boyfriend or girlfriend.
A woman who has a seven-year-old at the school said: “I think it’s absolutely ridiculous. It’s a tradition; I can remember when I used to receive cards from boys in school. It’s a lovely thing to do. Most of the parents were laughing about it, but the children are wondering what’s going on because they’ve sent cards before.”
A spokesman for North Somerset Council said the head teacher was happy to discuss the issue with any parents who have concerns. He said: “Ashcombe is a primary school and they believe that children under the age of 11 are still emotionally and socially developing and therefore cards declaring love can be confusing.
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