http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/australian-kids-banned-birthday-tradition-school-181900033.html#!txGq

With that approach, they shouldn't even have schools.

I think its quite funny considering how liberal a lot of rules are now when it comes to schools in general over here (no canes allowed, no smacking kids, kids run around outside playing hookie a LOT more these days)

Seems reasonable. You wouldn't want your kid to get cooties, would you?

Anyway, I find it more surprising that they have birthday cakes in school.

I like that new Verizon commercial that brags about Skype shit one day being used to have "no more sick days." I was like fuck you, sick days are awesome, I want my kids to have sick days. It's like productivity phones letting us work from home or the train... umm, thanks I guess? That's what I really wanted?

We're sucking the fun out of life and don't even know it.

We should lock all kids in air bubbles. Bulletproof air bubbles.

Behind laser fences while school is in session.....

Forget germs. I'm going to miss all the groovy youTubes of the candles flickering wildley, flairing out and catching one of the kids on fire.

Incidentally I wonder how these germaphobes feel about flicking boogers at each other, spitting, sharing chewing gum, and picking at each other's scabs because all of those kids do shit like that on a daily basis.

Did you time warp here from 1885?

Still too dangerous. This strange 'Real Life' brings too much danger. Let's just raise our kids in a sealed stasis-chamber and educate them in a secure, isolated cyberspace.

But they may catch a computer virus then!

Yes. That's why you need an isolated system. No contact with the internet. No data transfer whatsoever. Just a virtual reality.

Made me think of this.

Yes living in Australia has gone to the dogs as we say over here meaning it's gone wrong

I know we should send our children on an intergalactic journey to the centre of the galaxy so nothing can get them - Oh Riiiiight I forgot they might die :sadface:

I love the reasoning.

Essentially the guidelines are telling kids to stop BREATHING.
As you can tell in the article, the comments below it (along with the pieces about it on Aussie current affairs programs and the reactions there) most Australians think this is absolutely stupid.

On the one hand, I don't think anyone's childhood is going to be permanently scarred by this.

On the other hand, for fuck's sake, Australia.