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Education chiefs have come under fire for banning children playing with toy wooden guns at a small country school.
Hampden School in Otago allowed some of its male pupils to play with home-made firearms during supervised pig-hunting games in the school's grounds once a week.
But after a story about the activities appeared in the Oamaru Mail, principal John Laing received a call from the Education Ministry saying the activity had to end.
Board of trustees chairman Ian Carter said the ministry should make an exception for their children because of the 21-pupil school's rural setting. He said Hampden, a coastal town with about 400 residents, was a "hunter's and fisherman's paradise".
The school had taken a "boys-being-boys approach" because several pupils used real guns on weekend pig-hunting trips with their parents. He said the school was reviewing the use of "homemade, hand-crafted toy guns" but would talk to the ministry.
"We are not comfortable they made a call without consulting us," said Carter. "We are not bringing M16s into the classroom and having commando-like activity."
The games were introduced at last term after the board re-thought the games the school's pupils were allowed to play.
Laing told the Oamaru Mail there was growing evidence to suggest banning "rough- and-tumble" games was not in boys' best interests.
Mayor Alex Familton backed the school, saying it had a strong, capable and well-directed board of trustees.
"I think it's very unfortunate that the ministry are focusing on what is a trivial detail," Familton said.
Education Ministry southern regional manager Michael De'Ath said the ministry did not support children bringing toy guns to school.
But he said Hampden School was responsible for the day-to-day management of curriculum and play.
"We will continue to work closely with the school to ensure it meets its obligations of providing a safe physical and emotional environment for all students."
