Jumblerant: Zachary Christie

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Common sense out of the window

I was cub scout as a youngster. A member of the 36th Ilford if I am not mistaken. We used to learn first aid, build tents, raise money for charity and every now and then we'd go away for a few days.

I enjoyed it, had fun with my friends and I guess it added to my love of the military later on in life.

Six-year-old Zachary Christie was so excited to become a Cub Scout that he brought his camping utensil to school. The tool serves as a spoon, a fork and a knife, and Zachary wanted to use it at lunch.

Simple enough. I took my grandma's gas mask from World War 2 into school for show and tell. And I think my sister took me in once as well but I'm a bit more fuzzy on that one.

What Zachary didn’t know was that the gizmo violated his school’s zero-tolerance policy on weapons. And now the Christina School District in Newark, Del., has suspended the first grader and ordered him to attend the district’s reform school for 45 days.

Whisky Tango Foxtrot?? A kid brings in his own cutlery and gets suspended? I assume that they serve more than mere finger foods in their dining hall in Newark, Del., or are they all members of the canape and caviar crowd? At the age of 6.

Christ, at 13 I was playing with rifles at my senior school. I could have easily poked someone in the eye with a Lee Enfield number 4 rifel (the rifle used by the majo

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rity of British Forces soldiers in World War 2) - it could have really hurt someone.

At 16 I was hospitalized whilst playing grass hockey at school after I received a hockey-stick to the head. I still have the 3 inch scar to prove it! But a spoon - wow, I'd have been scared of that.

It appears that the school district has now ovcerturned their original decision - sorry - let that read 'amended their zero tolerance ruling' to allow more discretion on the part of teachers.

The Christina School Board voted unanimously to amend the Code of Conduct for the 2009-2010 school year to allow individual schools and school administrators more discretion when deciding disciplinary actions for students in Kindergarten and First Grade.

Surely thats why we have teachers in the first place? To use their common sense in how to teach our children the ways of the world?

Also, the above changes to the 'Code of Conduct' does not allow 7 year olds to bring spoons to school. I guess they have to draw the backwards looking, petty ruling somewhere.

kthanxbai!