Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Kissing No Problem At Primary School

By JOHN MILLER

There has been a good deal of play in the news recently concerning children kissing one another.

A six-year-old boy was suspended from school for kissing his "girlfriend" on the cheek, while another child was talked to about kissing a girl, though not while on school grounds.

Gurdon schools have no policy regarding kissing, according to Superintendent Bobby Smithson. "We've never had a problem with it with younger children."

He said Gurdon schools have general rules of conduct students must follow, but nothing specific on kissing at the elementary level.

"I think with children that age," he said, "you have to remember what a kiss means to them. We worry more about them hitting one another.

Smithson said he sees no real problem with kissing, unless a child is mentally or emotionally disturbed, and then the proper steps will be taken to correct the situation.

"It's different when the children get older," he said. "I think its ridiculous (to suspend a child) and hope we never have that problem.

"I'm worried more about gang violence and drugs."

An official at the Gurdon Primary School said the action taken concerning children kissing will be dependent on the motivation involved.

A simple kiss, they said, won't get much attention. Motivation has a lot to do with what happens.

But if it's a case of children being children and friends, there's no problem.