‘Get a drink between classes!’ - Your reaction as Lancashire school bans water from classrooms

Principal Alasdair Ashcroft has told students at Garstang Community Academy they can no longer use drinks bottles during lessons.

The new rule has prompted angry youngsters to daub the school with graffiti in protest.

The word “Water” has been painted on an outside wall and the phrase “Water Is Bad” has appeared on a pedestrian crossing.

We asked for your views through our Facebook page and here are a selection of the hundreds of comments.

Poor snowflakes, how will they cope with having to wait until break / lunch time?!James Vinden

Well this is pathetic, if the children are messing with their bottles, then why don’t they have a policy where they have to keep their bottle under their chairs until they need a drink. They’ll stop faffing then. They obviously aren’t very good teachers if they get wound up so easily by kids messing with bottlesEmma Louise Heaton

Personally don’t see a problem they can drink water at breaks and lunchSharron McMahon

It’s been proven multiple times have hydration assists with better learningCatherine Sarah Greenwood

Poor lambs, how will they copeGary Norris

How did we ever survive at school? Oh that’s right we all drank from the same water fountain at class Change or break time!Jan Walsh

And my child’s dr once said if all the children he sees drank as much water during the day as my boy then his life would be so much easier and quieter at work. We have always insisted on water all day at school due to a kidney condition.Hannah Rebecca Evans

I think it would be better if they encouraged the children to bring water in reusable bottles rather than plastic bottles. Sipping water during the day keeps them hydrated I wish we’d been allowed to do that when I was at school instead of the disgusting warm milk that made me sickPauline Thomas

Come on, you are not going to die of thirst in one hour, two if it’s a double lesson. I can imagine how distracting it is when the teachers are trying to teach and students trying to learn. Stop blaming the head and teachers, blame the little darlingsValerie Fairclough

Is this actually allowed? I thought human rights and all that this would not be allowed! How can someone deprive students of water?Nikita Lingard

Why are people so up in arms about this? I’m quite sure a child can go 45 minutes to an hour without a drink, then get one between classes and during their breaks!John Peters