A primary school has banned Valentine's Day cards from thepremises because of concerns that young pupils spend too much time talking about boyfriends and girlfriends.

Ashcombe Primary School in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, has told parents that cards declaring love can be “confusing” for children under the age of 11, who are still emotionally and socially developing.

In his February newsletter, Peter Turner, the head teacher, warned that any cards found in school would be confiscated.

He wrote: “We do not wish to see any Valentine’s Day cards in school this year. Some children and parents encourage a lot of talk about boyfriends and girlfriends.”

"We believe that such ideas should wait until children are mature enough emotionally and socially to understand the commitment involved in having or being a boyfriend or girlfriend."

Mr Turner said any families wanting to support the Valentine’s Day concept should send cards in the post or deliver them to home addresses by hand.

His views were endorsed by Ruth Rice, 46, who has twins Harriet and Olivia, nine, at the school.

She said: “Children at that age shouldn't really be thinking about Valentine's Day, they should be concentrating on their schoolwork.

“They are at an age when they are impressionable and most parents including myself are with Mr Turner.”

She added that the cards cause “too much competition. If someone gets a card and another doesn't then someone will be disappointed.”

However, Rajeev Takyar, 40, who runs a local newsagent, and has two children Jai, 11, and Aryan, five, at the school, said he was “genuinely outraged”.

He said: "There are schools that have banned conkers and snowballs, and now Valentine's Cards.

"I think banning the cards stops children from having social skills. How are they going to learn about relationships otherwise? It's ridiculous.”

Alec Suttenwood, founder of the Anti-Political Correctness group, said of the ban: "It's totally ridiculous. Young children just send the cards to each other as friends and to their parents. It’s just a bit of harmless fun. There is no difference between this and Mothers or Fathers Day.”

(Read by Renee Haines. Renee Haines is a multimedia journalist at the China Daily Web site.)

(Agencies)