A ‘generation of wimps’ could be raised in Britain as schools are now banning children from playing outside during heatwaves.
Teachers are opting to keep pupils inside for ‘hot play’ breaks when playgrounds are deemed to be too hot for the kids to use safely.
Staff have been urged to make the change in order to keep students away from tarmac and metal shelters which can become hot to touch during heatwaves, The Telegraph reported.
The move has been labelled ‘absolute nonsense’ and critics have warned it could create a ‘generation of wimps’ who hide from warm weather.
Schools now hold ‘wet play’ sessions during periods of rain, with children allowed to play indoors instead of outside, but the ‘hot play’ sessions are a new phenomenon.
The idea was highlighted by the WWF, which has called for schools to use more natural surfaces such as grass instead of tarmac and astro-turf to mitigate the effects of the rising temperatures.
The charity said it had come across the concept of ‘hot play’ from schools and parents.
Chris McGovern, a former headteacher and chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, warned that keeping pupils indoors during heatwaves was the ‘worst thing’ for them.
Schools are now banning children from playing outside during heatwaves
Teachers are opting to keep pupils inside for ‘hot play’ breaks when playgrounds are deemed to be too hot for the kids to use safely
Chris McGovern, Chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said it could raise a ‘generation of wimps’
He said: ‘I taught for 35 years. Any teacher knows that the worst thing you can do on a hot day is to keep children confined to the classroom.
‘Of course, there can be situations where a particular child needs to stay indoors, and of course there should be areas of shade within the playground.
‘We don’t want to make children into wimps. We want to toughen them up a little bit.’
He also warned that the rigid constraints on pupils risked damaging their mental health in the long term.
Greg Smith, the Tory MP for Mid Buckinghamshire, said it was ‘absolute nonsense’ to attempt to ‘wrap children in bubble wrap’ in such a way.
He said simple measures such as a hat and suncream would help children stay safe in the sun.
The WWF has called on the government to update regulations on school premises which have barely changed since the 1950s.
They want to ensure pupils have access to natural surfaces like grass and sand, warning artificial surfaces increased the risk of flooding.
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