by Moe Zilla

Created on: January 26, 2008   Last Updated: June 03, 2010

Remember what it's really about: teachers protecting children.

The teachers were misunderstood when this controversy first began in Southern California in 2002 when an elementary school banned the game of tag. Across the country, news outlets and talkshow hosts began arguing that a simple childhood game was now becoming a victim of the teachers' "political correctness." But the school's decision was being horribly oversimplified, and behind that trumped up controversy were some practical good reasons for restricting the game.

First of all, this particular elementary school never banned the game of tag outright. Instead, Franklin Elementary School had required that the games be conducted with adult supervision - and they felt they had good reasons. Bullies used the pretense of a game of tag to isolate the less athletic children. The slowest child would always be "it" - again and again, always the first target of the other children.

They also found young children took the game way too seriously. At that age there's an intense desire to avoid the stigma of being the game's only outsider. Even children who could run fast were reported to do so very recklessly, which led to injuries. Elementary schools work hard to encourage children NOT to run, so the last thing they need is a game where that's the single winning strategy. And in Cheyenne, one school principal complained that too often "tag, you're it!" would just turn into a fist fight!

The truth is that some children won't always know how to settle their differences and respect other children without adult supervision. Ironically, that was the only goal behind the original "ban" on the game of tag at the Southern California school. But the common sense behind their idea soon spread across the country. Other schools took similar action against contact games in Wichita, San Jose, and Spokane. And safety concerns have already led schools to ban dodge ball, so tag isn't the only game getting a closer examination.

Teachers know that there's dozens of other playground games, many of them safer than tag. And they also want children to learn how to get along. Unfortunately, the philosophy of tag is simply "everyone for themselves." In fact, that may ultimately be the best argument against the game of tag: it's boring. The only purpose of playing is to avoid the stigma of becoming "it". It's not really possible to win - only to try avoiding that threatening moment of shame. It doesn't reward cleverness (although it might determine who's got the longest legs). If we want the best care for our children, there's better ways to spend recess.

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