Parents Outraged After WA School Imposes Cartwheel Ban

Some parents were outraged after a WA school has imposed a cartwheel ban among children.

Bunbury Primary School is the latest school to ban children from doing cartwheels and handstands, telling parents in a newsletter that the practice is “too dangerous.”

School principal Shane Dougherty explained through Seven News that the children’s safety is their concern. “This is not about stopping kids from taking risks and having fun – but attempting things like flips or handstands on bitumen and sloping grassed areas without learning how to do it properly is never a good idea.”

Before banning the activity, data from the school revealed that every day, at least two students go to the office with injured wrists.

However, some parents thought it was quite ‘ridiculous.’

“What happened to kids being kids and being allowed to play? What’s going to be left? How on earth are kids these days supposed to learn about risk of they aren’t allowed to take any!” asked an outraged parent.

Yet, others understand the school’s side.

“[The] Principal has a point in terms of doing them on bitumen. But wouldn’t this be better solved by getting someone to teach them how to do handstands, flips and cartwheels safely (how protect their wrists and not to try on bitumen) rather than outright banning them?,” said one parent.

Meanwhile, Kidsafe WA CEO Scott Phillips said that the ban could lead to more injuries in the long run. “We’d like to see kids out and being active, we know that kids who aren’t active actually get injured more,” he said.

Other schools throughout the country have already banned the playground play due to fear of broken bones and other injuries.

At this stage the ban is only temporary.

Sources: Kidspot.com.au and Au.news.yahoo.com