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A primary school's decision to deny several grandparents entry to a classroom event has come under fire, with some arguing "it is a step too far". St Joseph's Primary School in Yarra Junction, east of Melbourne, held an "Inquiry Afternoon" for grade one and two students on Friday, inviting grandparents, parents or a special person to bring "something old" like a toy or game to help educate the children about how "technology and the world has changed over time", the Herald Sun reports. Photos posted to the school's Facebook page show several students standing at the front of the room alongside their family members as they present photographs of relatives, decade-old phones, cameras and clocks. Despite the joyful images, a handful of attendees said when they arrived at the school, they were refused entry to the classroom and forced to participate over video because they didn't have a Working with Children Check. One woman said she was made to feel 'like a criminal' after school staff forced her to participate via video. Source: St Joseph's Primary School/Facebook A grandmother told the publication her tearful granddaughter was brought to the school's office after she told staff she failed to fulfil the requirement — which she later realised was requested on the back of the invitation. "Then we sat in the staffroom and we videoed the items with my grandchild talking about what it was about and then she went back into the classroom and I went home. It was very disappointing," she said, arguing that better communication would have prevented the problem. A second grandmother who was also denied entry for the same reason said the incident made her feel "like a criminal". Aussie mum confused over 'metal drink bottle ban' in schools Couple's 'horror' after school builds six-metre climbing tower over backyard Aussie school to be bulldozed over dangerous mould infestation While a Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools spokesperson told the Herald Sun the organisation school was simply taking its child safety standards "extremely seriously", experts argued on Tuesday morning the move was an overreaction. "The Working With Children Check isn't set up for the one-off visit — it is a step too far," founder of the National Grandparent Movement, Ian Barnett, told Sunrise. "I understand we're living in a time when we want more checks and balances, but it is unrealistic to think that grandparents attending such a day would actually need to go and provide a Working With Children Check." He said requiring loved ones to have the certificate was "a bit extreme", and that dragging a "child out from the classroom to sit with nana or grandad" is "a step too far and embarrassing…for the school as well". Yahoo has contacted Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools for comment. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.Grandmother denied from school event 'felt like criminal'
School's move 'a step too far'