School bans all fidget spinners
One Cambridge school has banned the use of fidget spinners because of the disruption they’ve been causing in and outside the classroom.
Cambridge Middle School principal Ross Tyson said instead of serving their purpose, the unique new buzz toys were creating issues among students.
The fidget spinner is a handheld device consisting of a bearing in the centre of a threepronged device, which is held by two fingers and spun.
It was originally designed as a therapeutic tool for children with autism and ADHD, but has gained popularity worldwide amongst all children.
The ban meant children with those learning difficulties could no longer bring their spinner to school. But Tyson said that wasn’t an issue.
‘‘Teachers are pretty good with kids with learning conditions these days, and before the fidget spinner there were other ways of helping them, and we can continue to assist them like we have for many years,’’ Tyson said.
‘‘But if something goes haywire out in the playground, it carries on back in the classroom and then the teacher has to investigate what happened and that doesn’t take just five minutes,’’ Tyson said.
‘‘It’s just one of those fads I think, something new comes around every two or three years and it becomes topical to have one.’’
Tyson said there was also concerned that students who didn’t have a spinner felt left out.
‘‘I mean that’s why we wear a school uniform, so these kids don’t have to wear the latest Nikes. If a child that doesn’t have one and feels a little aggrieved, and a spinner is lying there on the desk, they might feel like taking it.’’
New Zealand company Game Kings, which stocks the fidget spinners, has had trouble keeping up with demand.
‘‘I think we have pushed out about 10,000 units since the craze went mental about three weeks ago,’’ he said.
They hadn’t had any negative feedback from schools regarding them as a distraction.
‘‘But we have had some schools actually buy them in bulk.’’
He said it was amazing that children were getting into a craze that wasn’t technology.
‘‘Both the spinners and the fidget cubes have been really popular, people are placing back orders.’’