PUPILS as young as four have been banned from taking pencil cases to school - in case they are used to smuggle sharp weapons.
The drastic action was taken after a boy was cut with a letter opener during "boisterous play".
Paul Starkie, aged nine, suffered minor cuts to his chest and leg following the incident at St Anne's Primary School, Denton, earlier this week.
Teachers discovered that the steel blade had been brought into school hidden in a pencil case.
Now all 209 girls and boys at the Tameside school have been banned from taking pencil cases and their contents into the classroom to prevent any other "potentially harmful instruments" being brought into the school.
Paul's father, James, called the police after the incident and has taken his son out of school. A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said the incident was not being taken any further, but that an officer will speak to the boy involved.
St Anne's, which educates pupils from the ages of four to eleven, is thought to be the first school in the country to introduce a ban on pencil cases. The measure was described as "ludicrous" and "illogical" by critics last night.
St Anne's head teacher Glenys Dyer said the pupil who brought the letter opener into school had been suspended, but was likely to be allowed back after Easter because the incident was not considered to be malicious.
She said: "After consulting the school's chair of governors and the local education authority, we have decided to hold a return to school interview next week with a view to allowing the child to return after Easter.
"This decision has been made on the grounds that this wasn't a premeditated incident. It was boisterous play between two friends which got out of hand as a consequence of a letter opener which had inadvertently been brought into school in a pencil case by another child.
"We believe there were no malicious intentions. In addition to the exclusion, we have banned all pupils from bringing pencil cases and their contents into class to prevent other potentially harmful instruments being brought into school."
Severity
But James Starkie said his son could have been seriously hurt and has called on the school and governors to permanently exclude the other pupil.
Mr Starkie, 32, said Paul was getting changed for a PE lesson when the other pupil produced the letter opener and said: "I'm going to stab you".
Paul claims he replied, "Go on then" believing it was a joke.
Mr Starkie said his son was then chased and injured before a teacher intervened.
He said: "I've been to see the school head and she has said the boy will be excluded until Easter, but I believe it should be permanent and this just trivialises the matter.
"Paul is very upset but he doesn't understand the full severity of the situation."
Last year another Tameside school, Waterloo Primary School in Ashton under Lyne, banned pencil sharpeners after a pupil dismantled one and used the blade to slash another child's neck.
The ban on pencil cases at St Anne's was criticised by Colin Grantham, leader of the Tameside Conservative Group. Mr Grantham said: "It is illogical and typical of the way schools are run at the moment. The decision is ludicrous because it punishes all the other children who have done nothing wrong."
Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: "This is very worrying. I have never heard of a ban on pencil cases.
"Most parents will think it is extreme when it is the result of one incident. There are dozens of other places where children can hide weapons.
"This ban deprives children of a convenient way of carrying the vital tools they need for school."
Richard Palframan, regional secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "Because of the nature of the incident I have every sympathy with the head teacher and the school in not wanting a repeat of the incident. Whether or not the banning of pencil cases is the right answer I'm really not sure at this stage."
Should pencil cases be banned in schools? Have your say.
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Roll out the cotton wool!
Ban the culprit!
If he wants to take a blade to school, he will find a way. Maybe, if he were to slash a major artery next time, it won't be seen as 'not malicious'. I think intent to wound is still a crime in the UK?
Thank god that Paul Starkie was not seriously injured. I think any child who says that are going to stab someone must have done this with intent! "Boisterous play" is an understatement. Why should the other children (my own child is a pupil at this school) be punished by the ban of pencil cases in school. Next they will be banning pockets in coats, bags etc!! What is this world coming to?
Well, maybe they should ban school bags-you could hide a lot in these. While they are at it, what about banning trousers with pockets-who knows what someone could bring into school via that cunning method!
This seems to be the thing at the moment - punish the many for the sins of the few. I hope the head will also ban clothes, as weapons can be concealed in pockets, and of course he should ban the jilbab as a whole arsenal may be lurking beneath. And why just ban the pencil case, when a shool bag ( or briefcase or satchel) might contain a meat cleaver or even a bomb? I know - let's ban everything!
Finally, the excuse all children have been searching for:
"I haven't brought my homework because i thought it might paper-cut somebody"
I noticed they have banned "pencil cases and their contents", so how on earth are the children meant to write anything if they're not allowed pens in the classroom. Perhaps a set of fridge magnets, or back to the good old days of slate and chalk. But then the slate could be used to hurt somebody, so that won't work.
One can only wonder how far this road will take us.
If pencil cases are to be banned, why not ban pencils which can easily be used as a weapon.
Some schools in Chicago have mandated the use of clear or see-through pencil cases.
That might be a fair solution to the problem.
In the best of all possible worlds, there would be no voilence, and no poverty. Everybody's needs would be met and disputes would be regulated peacefully. But would it be the kind of society we would really want to live in (how long is it since you last read Plato's magnificent work "The Republic"?).
In the real world, there will always be the poor, so says the Bible, but nobody has ever suggested banning money. Instead, through taxation, governments seek to redistribute wealth so that at least basic needs are met.
To ban pencil cases on the grounds that one child had a letter opener in it and injured another is too silly to imagine. I remember, in my first year of secondary school, a boy stabbed me with a compass. Nobody ever thought of banning compasses from the school. After all, they were a necessary tool in our Maths class. I survived the attack which, I hasten to say, was more a foolish prank than malicious; I also suspect my attacker still recalls the punishment I inflicted upon him as a lesson well learned. And that, surely, is the point? Punish bad behaviour rather than try to realize Plato's republic (which, for those who may have forgotten, Plato realized nobody would want to live in because society would be so strictly regulated that nobody would want to live there).
Good for the headteacher for actually managing to exclude the boy for more than two days. How can it possibly be considered boisterous play and why on earth would a child need a letter opener in school anyway, seems that kids can get away with murder. To the parents of the victim stand your ground and make sure something more is done about this. I and many other parents are with you on this issue GOOD LUCK. from Parents from children at Waterloo Primary School in Ashton Under Lyne
It's getting to a stage where anything and everything can and will be jumped on; the compulsory wearing of hard hats for playing football, the wearing of goggles to play conkers, and all other idiotic health and safety worries along with the stupid blame and claim compensation culture we have.
A silly decision based on over reaction. If a child wanted to take a weapon in only airport style security and strip searches would come close to preventing them.
Ummm...no. Kids need to carry their stuff.
Where do we stop?
no more pencil casses, next we have no more pencils, because after all, someone could use a pencil to stab someone, then what are the kids going to write with, finger paints, I remember when I was at school things like this were put down to expirence of life, now it's all blown out of proportion, maybe people should keep their kids home and wrap them in cotton wool.
Well what do we expect? We are led by a prime minister who went to war, killing thousands on the basis of 'he has the potential for WMD'. So there is no difference in a head banning pencil cases because they have the 'potential to conceal a weapon'. Maybe we should ban pockets in litttle boys trousers as they could conceal a weapon in there!!!