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Melbourne primary school has banned parents from taking coffee and other hot drinks onto the school grounds.

The junior head of the school has shared concerns over fears students could suffer burns.

St Kevin’s Glendalough at Toorak, in Melbourne’s south east, has urged parents to reconsider their choice of drinks during the early morning school run, The Herald Sun reported.

Junior head James Daly told parents taking a hot beverage onto the playground was an ‘unnecessary risk’ because they don’t mix with ‘active children and flying balls’.

‘I respectfully remind parents that bringing hot drinks into the schoolyard, classroom or other areas where students are present, is not allowed,’ Mr Daly said.

People have argued, What about the teachers who drink coffee in class and also take it out into the playground while on yard duty?

Forget helicopter parenting, I think we now have helicopter schooling!

Do you think this is going a bit over the top?

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  • Nope….I 100% agree with this. Its dangerous and you might know how your children will react to things but you are not aware of other children and coffee can easily be knocked or bumped and burn a child so why take the risk.

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  • Fair enough. Wait til you get home. They’re just looking out for all the kids in the playground

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  • I think it’s a fair rule. It’s not like it takes long to drop off and pick up kids, so they wouldn’t have to part with coffee for too long. And I don’t think it says anywhere that teachers bring hot drinks onto the playground? I’m sure this school would have rules for that too

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  • This is unjust and simply ridiculous.

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  • Agree with this ban wholeheartedly – would hate to see a child scalded with hot coffee because they or the person with the hot coffee walked into one another. Just a safety issue, people

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  • I hope this is happening because an incident has occurred because otherwise i think it’s an over reaction yet again. I can see their point of view but seems a bit silly top me.

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  • I haven’t seen any parents bringing coffee to our schools.

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  • It makes me think something has already happened and this is in response to it. I personally never saw any parents bring coffee into the school grounds. Who has the time or inclination? I do feel it has been prompted by something or someone though.

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  • I’m a bit lost on this one.. I haven’t really noticed anyone bring coffee to our primary school in the mornings, and the teachers don’t walk around with them. I have taken coffee to P&C meetings ( in a travel mug), but my hands are too full before school to think of juggling a cup as well. I wonder if there was an incident or near incident to spark this one?

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  • I work in two primary schools and hot drinks have been banned for staff on duty for several years now. It’s a safety issue, kids don’t pay attention to anything around them when they’re playing except for the game they’re playing. So let’s turn it around and your child gets hot coffee spilt on them when they crash into someone with a coffee in their hand, what do you say then?

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  • If teachers can do it, banning parents is unjust. Do these teachers have special training that allows them to handle hot beverages without risk that no one else can do? Either ban it for everyone or don’t.

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  • I can understand their concerns for the children but this should also include teachers. Teachers have a staff room which is where they should be drinking their hot drinks.

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  • Such a hard topic! Being a teacher myself, we weren’t allowed to take hot drinks into the playground or in the classroom when students were present. Young children have no awareness when they are playing in the yard. You might think you’re capable of not spilling your drink but what if a child crashes into you or you get hit by a ball. I think if your child got burned then your opinion would be different.

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  • Surely students shouldn’t need coffee

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  • Hmmm… I think this is a bit OTT. I’m sure parents are careful enough not to spill on kids.


    • I don’t know what it’s like in Victoria, but in NSW state schools, this is common practice. It’s about duty of care. We’ve all been guilty of thinking, “It won’t happen to me. It’ll be alright”. The fact is, it does happen. Not only are children not allowed hot drinks in the playground, but even teachers are firmly discouraged from taking hot coffee out on playground duty or to their desks during class time. In winter, our canteen and breakfast club provide warm (as opposed to hot) chocolate, and food and drinks for lunch are not to be heated past a certain temperature, and they must be consumed in the classroom, sitting down, under teacher supervision. Better to be safe than sorry.
      Bringing coffee for primary school children is an entirely different issue. What parents choose to do, or allow their children to do, at home is up to them, but schools have rules for very good reasons.

    Reply

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