I'm not a parent but a grandparent, but not too long ago I was caregiver for my grandchildren when they were young  (my grandson is still in elementary school).  I just can't imagine trying to explain this policy to them. 

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From now on you must not touch another child or let him or her touch you.
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Don't help your friend to tie his shoes, or put on her mittens.
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Don't help her fix her ponytail if the elastic slips.
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Don't tap somebody's arm to get their attention.
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Don't help somebody up if they fall.
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Don't play tag, or bump into anyone on the slides or jungle gym.
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Don't hold hands or link arms.
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Don't arm wrestle.
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No, it's not alright to help someone with their zipper. Or pat them on the back.
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No more high-fives.

Etc.

No touching.

Zero tolerance means no questions, no explanations, no exceptions. If you touch someone, or they touch you, you are apt to get into trouble.

What nonsense!

Apparently this happened because a child got hurt in a game of tag.

I heard about this a little while ago.  It's pretty ridiculous.  Lots of typical phys ed activities at that age required holding hands.

We're getting closer to literally putting kids in a bubble with this policy.

I wonder if it will reduce colds though :)

Here's a link to a news report about it: http://bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-school-bans-kindergarteners-from-touching-each-other-1.1528348

Personally, I think it's ridiculous and suspect it will backfire on officials. Children are going to be penalized for playing games like Tag. The problem doesn't lie with the children touching each other so much as it lies with inadequate playground supervision - which likely goes back to funding cuts. 

Very insightful, somegal.  Put the blame where it belongs.  Rather than adequate staffing to teach the children appropriate touching, just ban it altogether. 

I think this is crazy. It is part of this ideal of protecting children from all injury

Children, during ordinary play will get injured.

They will fall, hurt themselves, hit each other with balls.......

Injury and recovery is part of childhood.

That doesn't mean we don't protect them but we can bubble wrap them

No child should ever touch another. They should not push someone out of the way of oncoming cars. They should not pull someone out of the way of something falling. They should not hold hands and then they will get lost or left behind. They should not play or laugh or have any fun. We are trying to make responsible adults.

To add to what I said earlier, when we are told we can't do something, we often want to do it more! I bet they'll find that the "problem" gets worse, not better - at least in the short term - due to this new policy.

The former principal of my daughter's school told me quite honestly that school boards and principals are running scared to death that if a kid goes home with a scraped knee there will be a lawsuit. When I was a kid if I got hurt at school when I got home I'd just be told "next time be more careful." Times have changed.

Part of the problem lays with the Insurence industry. They scare groups into buying policies, and than they say the policies will only protect you if you do what they say and creat rules to lessen harm. Than they drive home the point by saying the members of the boards/councils can be sued and lose there homes. Even if this has never happened in Canada. But it does create panic among board memebrs and others and these types of policies.

I see part of the problem being the "not my kid" mantra.

There is no fighting or bullying but "their kid" was playing. Their kid should also never fall, never rip their clothes, never get a stain... so keep those kids away from their kid.