ACTIVITY BAN HAS MADE PUPILS SOFT AND SICKLY; Safety fears 'have gone too far'.

Byline: By RON MOORE

RISK-FREE schools are producing a generation of mollycoddled, unhealthy youngsters, education experts warned yesterday.

Pupils are losing out on exercise as teachers fear being sued if they are hurt during sports or days out, Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) said.

The group, which advises ministers, said children's wellbeing is now more at risk from obesity and poor fitness than it is from freak outdoor accidents.

In recent years, teachers have called off abseiling trips, cross-country runs and even banned conkers - often under pressure from council health and safety officers. East Ayrshire has banned paintballing, while South Lanarkshire vetoed paragliding and sand-yachting.

Willie White of LTS said: "With 30,000 adult deaths from obesity and unfitness each year, the small but real risks of outdoor learning at not just acceptable but are great for learning."

Doug Fallon, physical education manager at Scottish Borders Council, said: "We do young people a disservice by wrapping them in cotton wool."

A spokeswoman for the Executive said: "Health and safety is important, but this should not be at the expense of giving young people opportunities to participate in new experiences."

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