Schools in a spin over ‘concentration aid’ craze

‘Fidget spinners’ are sold as stress relievers, but teachers are banning the gadgets they say are ruining classes

THEY are marketed as stress-relievers to help children with learning difficulties concentrate in class.

But fidget spinners have instead become such a classroom distraction that the hand-held toys are being banned in schools across the UK.

If you have not yet heard of the new craze sweeping playgrounds, a fidget spinner is a three-pronged, palm-sized piece of plastic or metal that spins around a central weighted disc – a modern version of the old spinning top.

They can cost less than £2, but deluxe versions change hands for £40 and YouTube videos demonstrating how to do tricks with them attract millions of views.

One head teacher shared a letter from a Year 7 pupil complaining that lessons were being disrupted.

“They are the latest craze and roughly seven people bring them into my lessons and share spares with other people,” the unnamed girl wrote to Chris Hildrew, head of Churchill Academy in Somerset.

“When you are trying to focus on your work, all you can hear is it spinning, round and round. If someone around you has one you kind of get attracted to it because they are trying to do tricks and everyone else is look- ing at it. This means that I am not doing my hardest on my work so I get less done. To sum up, I think they should be banned in lessons.”

Mr Hildrew, posted a copy of the letter on Twitter and wrote: “We have banned fidget spinners from lessons – here’s why.”

A number of teachers have also posted on the Mumsnet forum, complaining that the toys were ruining lessons. Fidget spinners are marketed as tools for children with autism and ADHD. One primary school teacher told the BBC that they were included in the school’s budget. “Specialists coming into the school recommend them for children and we’ll buy them in for the children that are identified,” she said. There is no supporting scientific evidence, and at least one expert has debunked the claims. Dr Mark Rapport, director of the Chil- dren’s Learning Clinic at the University of Central Florida, said: “Using a spinner-like gadget is more likely to serve as a distraction than a benefit for individuals with ADHD.”

However, the National Autistic Society said there was anecdotal evidence that the spinners were beneficial.

Spokesman Carol Povey said: “There is very little research about how these things work, but anecdotally we believe they do work. So for us, this isn’t new at all. It just seems that the rest of the world has caught up.”