Musical chairs 'too violent'

BBC News, World Ed. ^

[Jalapeno]

Musical chairs 'too violent'

The booklet says children should be taught to co-operate

The traditional children's party game of musical chairs has been accused of breeding violence. A booklet, launched by the Education Minister Margaret Hodge, says that nursery schools should consider playing a less aggressively competitive game - such as musical statues.

Towards a Non-Violent Society, the booklet produced by the Forum on Children and Violence, argues that musical chairs only rewards the "strongest and fastest".

The Department for Education has distanced itself from the publication, saying that it neither funds nor distributes the booklet - and it says there is no ban on the game being advocated.

Instead it says that the booklet "merely advises that teachers might think of less confrontational alternatives".

But the Conservative education spokeswoman, Theresa May, called the advice "political correctness gone mad".

"Children have playedand enjoyed musical chairs for years," she said.

"This is yet more interference by a government, not content with just telling teachers what to do, they are now telling children what games they can and cannot play."

[cmsgop]

I have one thing to say here........

Musical Chairs= Life

Thats It........

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

well we should then ban pin the tail on the donkey just think how many kids are going to grow up and mutilate donkeys now? chilling I tell you chilling

[ladylib]

After today's kids go through the public schools and become parents, I bet we will see more educational venues open up -- from homeschooling to private schools to internet schools, all privately controlled. Dumb and destructive zero tolerance policies, feminism, PC indoctrination, homosexual indoctrination, as well as dubious curriculum choices (rain forest math; look-see reading instruction) will ensure that today's kids will not want the same for their kids.

[ladylib]

And those kids are so unimaginative they can't devise their own costumes?

[irishtenor]

Aren't these the same people who spout "Darwinian" philosophies like survival of the fittest?

[altair]

I guess Smear the Queer is also not allowed at this school....not mentioned in the article, I just have a hunch.

Smear the Queer. It's been ages since I've heard that term. It was strongly discouraged by the teachers when I went to elementary school (late 60's, early 70's) so naturally we played it when they were out of sight.

[altair]

(and we wonder why the Japanese kick our sorry asses most years in the LL world series)

Adopting anything Japanese and education related is a mistake. It goes well beyond competition into the absurd. Here, mothers murder their neighbor's children when they get accepted to elite preschools and their own do not.

[Dan from Michigan]

Schools around the world are turning our kids into a bunch of pansies.

[brewcrew]

When chairs are outlawed, only outlaws will have chairs.

[philetus]

There needs to be a private school where they teach kids to be more aggressive


There is, it's called the street

[altair]

Your point is taken. One of those murders happened the first week I was in Japan and it made an impression on me at the time.

the point was that we're taking away anything remotely meaningful about a child's life and telling him it's ok to just get by...

Competition cures a variety of woes, especially when you lose. It's a pity that it has become un-PC.

[Adder]

It also teaches children to listen, anticipate and react. It is more than simply a physical game. And, yes, it is competitive, something frowned upon by the whiners...er educators.

[CougarGA7]

Good Lord. What would she do? Remove the wheelchair at some point in the game?

[multitaskmom]

My local grammar school outlawed Halloween this year because some kids get a complex when their parents can't afford store-bought costumes.

That's very funny, I think store-bought costumes are the worst! Homemade costumes usually come out better!