SCHOOL PROHIBITS CLAPPING TO RESPECT THE NOISE SENSITIVE

One Australian school outlawed hugging. Another prohibited singing Christmas carols. Another has removed the word “black” from “ba ba black sheep.” And now — clapping has been banned. Elanora Heights Public School in Sydney is instructing students to “punch the air, pull excited faces and wriggle about on the spot,” instead of slapping their hands together — all with a teacher’s permission, of course. “The practice has been adopted to respect members of our school community who are sensitive to noise,” the school wrote in a newsletter. “When you attend an assembly, teachers will prompt the audience to conduct a silent cheer if it is needed.” Education Minister Adrian Piccoli said the school instituted the policy to support a faculty member with a hearing disability. The bans have drawn outrage from some. “I am all for diversity and making sure that our younger generation understand exactly what is going on within the community, but to implement something like this, it’s just ridiculous,” Sunday Mail newspaper editor Peter Gleeson said.