As half the country was returning to school after half-term last week, I was just beginning mine. On February 18 I picked up a copy of The Times. On a single page there were no fewer than three reports about the damage school is doing to children.
A British Psychological Society conference about physical contact concluded that refusing to touch pupils “is abuse”. So afraid are teachers and schools of dealing with allegations of inappropriate touching that heads now (we’re told) prohibit any physical contact with children. But this is psychologically damaging; touch is absolutely essential: “Denying it is like denying a child oxygen.” So we’re messing this one up.
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