Army father attacks school’s ‘nannying’ ban on gun games

A former soldier whose son has been banned from playing gun games at school said today the rule was “totally over the top”.

Mark Ayres, from Enfield, said his seven-year-old son, Aidan, was missing out on “the best bit of growing up” after being told he can no longer play games involving imaginary weapons.

Teachers at Worcesters Primary School in Goat Lane have been asked to “actively discourage” children from “violent play” in the playground. The school has also banned children from eating sweets.

Mr Ayres, 38, who served in the Army, said: “It’s just ridiculous. My son came home from school on Friday and said he was told he couldn’t play any Army games. A few weeks before that a teacher took a bag of Maltesers off him midway through the packet.

“It’s a step too far for a school to take. The games are harmless. I played them as a child and I didn’t turn into a crazy murderer.

“It’s the best bit of growing up — cops and robbers and cowboys and Indians are classic games.

“I have told my son to disregard what the teachers say, because it is totally over the top. I am his parent and I have told him some of the stories about when I was in the Army, and in truth I have already managed to put him off.”

Under the no-sweets policy pupils are allowed to bring a chocolate- covered biscuit in their lunch box but not chocolates, said Mr Ayres.

“That day I had slipped a 99-calorie packet of Maltesers into Aidan’s lunch box,” he said. “It was a treat because they are his favourite, and they whipped them out of his hand while he was eating them.

“It’s a nanny school and the teachers should back off.”

The school is adamant that playtime needs to be monitored. Headteacher Karen Jaeggi said: “We actively discourage children from playing violent games or games involving imaginary weapons in the playground by explaining to them what it represents.

“Some children can be easily frightened by violent play which is often influenced by computer games and we feel that such games can have a harmful effect on young minds.”