Industry News
Children 'need to be allowed some risk'
Posted on 15th November 2007
A private school headteacher has called for children to be allowed to gain slight injuries in order to help them learn about danger.
Speaking at the annual conference of the Girls' Schools Association, Robert McKenzie Johnston, the headmaster of Queen Mary's School, said some schools were using health and safety rules as an excuse not to run activities such as gorge walking and rafting.
He said an understanding of risk is an "essential" part of a child's education and that they must not let children grow up without their own judgement.
"If they learn themselves what is sensible they will make mistakes and they will get grazed knees and bruised noses," he commented.
Earlier this week, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said that a twisted ankle or skinned knee is a necessary risk in a "challenging and exciting" play environment.
Tom Mullarkey, chief executive of the society, said that there is no need for "extremist" and unnecessarily restrictive health and safety measures.
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