Alex Carson
School
School has changed a lot over the years. Many things that allowed in schools in past decades have since been banned. Here are 20 absurd things you won’t believe have been banned from schools.
Yoga Pants and Leggings
Girls love wearing yoga pants and leggings. Not only are they in style, but they are incredibly comfortable. Over the years, dress codes in schools have become more strict. One school in Massachusetts banned yoga pants and leggings in 2015. Fearing that students would protest, the school board allowed these pants as long as the girls paired them with a skirt, shorts, or a long top.
Backpacks
Cardinal Leger Secondary School in Ontario, Canada banned backpacks to cut down on classroom clutter. It ended up causing more problems because students were going to their lockers between classes, so they didn’t have to carry all of their books, which led to crowds and commotions at the lockers between classes.
Snowballs
In 2007, students at a British school had a snowball fight, and several of them were suspended. The principal said that snowballs banned for the student’s safety, but the parents believed that it was extreme and laughable.
Toilet Paper Tubes
For decades, teachers were giving young students empty egg cartons and toilet paper tubes to make crafts. A school in a town called Durham in Britain banned these things over health and safety concerns.
Hugging
Malcolm Arnold Academy in Northampton instituted a “no touching” policy. This meant that they weren’t allowed to hug one another or hold hands. The parents were furious when they heard about this silly rule. One parent stated that it was “verging on draconian.”
Slang
A school in England banned students from using slang words such as “Hiya,” “Cheers,” and “See ye.” Instead, they were expected to use the formal forms of these words, such as “Hello,” “Goodbye,” and “Thank you.” The school believed that it would prepare the students for the real world.
Silly Bandz
Silly Bandz were incredibly popular in 2010. Kids were fawning over them and trading them. Schools thought that Silly Bandz were distractions, and they were banned in many schools.
Tag
Just about every kid grew up playing tag. The rules are simple, and you don’t need to be an athlete to take part in the game. In 2015, an entire school district in Washington State banned the game, saying that it would protect the kids emotionally and physically. What?
Santa Claus
Kids love to see Santa during the holidays. Unfortunately, in 2016, an Oregon school district banned everything Santa. Teachers were not allowed to teach their students songs about Santa, they couldn’t hang decorations with Santa on them, and Santa was not allowed to visit the students. They said that Santa was banned to show equal respect for all religions. Parents were angry because Santa is not a religious figure.
Shorts
A school in England banned shorts. When it was unseasonably hot for about a week, the boys in the school wore skirts to school to protest the rule. It wasn’t fair that girls could be cool in skirts while boys had to sweat in jeans.
Party Invitations
An elementary school in England banned party invitations. Unless the student was inviting the entire class, they couldn’t hand out invitations at school. The teachers feared that allowing party invitations would lead to a student feeling left out.
Fidget Spinners
Fidget spinners were huge in the U.S. and the U.K. in 2017. Teachers said that they were causing a distraction. Some kids genuinely needed them to focus, but they were out of luck when they were banned.
Dodgeball
Dodgeball was a popular gym class and recess game for decades. Back in 2001, most schools in the United States had banned the game. Teachers thought that it was dangerous and mean.
Jojo Bows
Jojo Bows were very popular in the UK in 2017. Kids saw Nebraska born singer, Jojo Siwa wearing these huge hair bows, so they started. Educators found them to be distracting, and they were banned. Parents were angry about this because many had spent money on these bows that their daughters were no longer allowed to wear.
Red Ink
Most schools ban students from using red ink, but a school in the U.K. also banned teachers from using red ink. They said that red was a negative color, and they told teachers to use green ink instead.
Best Friends
A school in the U.K. banned students from having best friends in 2012. They thought that doing this would get kids to play in bigger groups. Parents felt this was crazy because you cannot stop a child from having a best friend.
Father’s Day Cards
A school in Scotland banned teachers from letting their students make Father’s Day cards in 2008. They thought that the cards were insensitive to students who had same-sex female couples as parents. They also believed that it would alienate students who didn’t have a father in their lives.
Boyfriends and Girlfriends
In January 2018, a principal of a school in north Wales banned students from having a boyfriend or girlfriend in school, saying that it was a distraction, In an email to teachers, he wrote, “School is not the place for romantic relationships, ever.”
Dictionaries
Students need dictionaries, but in 2010, a school in California banned dictionaries because they discovered that the latest edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary contained the phrase, “oral sex.”
Postgame Handshakes
In 2013, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association faced a PR nightmare when they banned students from shaking hands after games. The story went viral, and the association tried to save face. They claimed that they weren’t banned, but they needed to be supervised. Unfortunately, the damage was done.
