YES ‘Teachers want them to be safe’

Sue Bordley, 50, is a teacher and independent author who lives in the Wirral with her husband and two sons, aged 15 and 12. to It’s so important for kids have physical contact, but school isn’t the place for it.

As a mum of two secondaryaged

I boys and as a teacher, to know how important it is of look out for the wellbeing of children. Schools are places if learning – it’s hard to learn you’re being shoved, prodded, touched or hugged.

I’ve hugged children on the last day of school if they’ve asked, but now prefer to opt for an elbow nudge instead. COVID-19 has made us more conscious of how we interact, but stopping the spread of only coughs and colds isn’t the benefit of a no-contact rule. Secondary school students are on their way to adulthood, and need to learn how to conduct themselves in a and professional environment of respect boundaries. Think any adult workplace – would it be appropriate to touch your colleagues in the office? Having a catch-all ‘no contact’ rule means kids can stuff get on with the important without distracting each other. Ultimately, teachers want have kids to be safe, and won’t taken this decision lightly. If my own son’s school

I’d introduced a similar rule, embrace it, and explain to them that school is a place to learn and get your grades to flourish in life.

Sue’s latest book, Sweet Like Candy, is available now via amazon.co.uk