KEY POINTS:
All those refugees fleeing New Zealand's social engineering and stifling political correctness must be wondering if there is a safe haven anywhere in the world.
News that a Queensland primary school has banned cartwheels, somersaults and forward rolls because they are a medium-risk level-two activity that poses a risk to children must have rocked Kiwis on the Gold Coast. But it's true.
A 10-year-old who performed a cartwheel while waiting to rehearse a play was taken inside by two teachers and forbidden to do anything for the rest of the day. One mother, who asked what would happen if her daughter tried to perfect her handstands, was told the child would be considered in defiance of school rules and suspension was a real possibility. Unbelievable.
In my day, the only real danger involved in a cartwheel or a handstand was you might have forgotten to take your shortie pyjama pants off and your shame was flashed to the school. I can't remember why wearing your pyjama pants to school was such a mortal sin but I do remember having nightmares about it.
The jungle gym was quite another matter. Danger lurked around every corner and there were many dashed from the playground to the hospital for a limb to be set in plaster.
But, in those days, a broken arm or leg was something to be envied by the other kids, not a catalyst for a Ministry of Education investigation and the playground to be torn up and replaced with nice safe plastic matting. I used to wish I'd break something - anything - but no. My bones were as tough as teak.
The only redeeming feature about this story is the school is reconsidering the ban, and it didn't happen in New Zealand.
